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THE WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS 



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THE 

White Sulphur Springs 

The traditions, history, and social life of the 
Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs 



BY 

WILLIAM ALEXANDER MacCORKLE, LL.D. 

Late Governor of West Virginia 

AUTHOR OF "SOME SOUTHERN QUESTIONS," 
"THE MONROE DOCTRINE," ETC., ETC. 




THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

440 FOURTH AVENUE NEW YORK 

MCMXVI 



FZ\ 



Copyright, 1916, by 
The Neale Publishing Company 






—5 t) 



FEB 26 1916 



©CI.A420928 



To Frank Trumbull, Chairman of the Board 
of Directors; George W. Stevens, President, and 
Decatur Axtell, Vice-President of the Chesapeake 
& Ohio Railway Company, — a rare combination 
of practical genius, splendid executive ability, and 
never-failing courage and honesty, — who, sev- 
erally and collectively, have wrought most po- 
tently to restore the broken porticoes of the South, 
lift up her fallen columns, and bring back to her 
broad harbors and sunlit seas the Lost Armada, 
which, under the blessing of God, will carry to 
all peoples in all climes the marvelous products 
of her fields, mines, and manufactories, this book 
is most sincerely inscribed as a token of the kindly 
regard and high esteem of the South. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PAOS 

Foreword u 

CHAPTER 

I " On the Way to the White Sulphur " . . .15 

II The Country of the White Sulphur . . .26 

III Title and History 49 

IV Climate, Waters, Baths, Curative Resources . 69 
V The White Sulphur, Twenty-five Years Since 95 

VI Journal of a Lady 130 

VII The White Sulphur Springs in 1839 . . . .170 

VIII The Colonel's Story 209 

IX Battle of White Sulphur Springs .... 263 

X Their Pilgrimage 295 

XI "The Treadmill" at the White Sulphur . .331 

XII The White As It Is To-day 346 

XIII Golf at the White 356 

XIV The Geological Conditions 365 

XV The White Sulphur and the South .... 395 

Index 409 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

The Old White Sulphur Springs Building Frontispiece 

FACING PAGE 

Map of White Sulphur Springs and Vicinity 15 

White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., from the West 16 

New River Canyon, Gauley, W. Va 21 v 

Hinton, W. Va., from the West 24 

A Glimpse of the Old White Sulphur Buildings and Part of the Lawn . 26 

Colonel Aaron Stockton's Stage House at Mouth of Ganley River, Now 

Owned by His Granddaughter, Mrs. Margaret Williamson . . . 32 . 

Dan Nihoof 34 

White Sulphur Springs in 1857 49 

Georgia Row 53 

Caldwell Cottage Grounds 55 

White Sulphur Springs in 1853 from a Sketch by Porte Crayon . . 57 

North Entrance to Old White Sulphur Springs Hotel 63 

West Front of Old White Sulphur Building 66 

The Spring House 69 

One of the Beautiful Tennis Courts 72 

A Lawn Party on the Grounds 74 

The Bath Building 79 

Part of the Greenbrier and the Bath Building 84 

Map of Hotels, Grounds, Parks and Golf Courses, White Sulphur 
Springs 89 ; 

The Spring House in the Olden Days 92 

Map of Roads and Trails, White Sulphur Springs 9«> 

South Carolina Row 130 

Baltimore Row 133 

Another View of South Carolina Row 136 

ColonadeRow 138 

iz 



x LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

FACTNG PAOS 

Paradise Row 146 

View from the Grounds of the White Sulphur 170 

The President's Cottage 185 

Beaver Dam Falls 204 

Entrance to White Sulphur from the Railroad 209 

Overlooking White Sulphur Battle Field, Dry Creek 263 

Looking Over Battle Field Toward the White Sulphur. In the Far 
Center the Intersection of the Two Roads Where Hardest Fighting 
Took Place 265 

On Extreme Left, Seat of Confederate Batteries. House Next to Hill 
in Far End, Seat of Federal Batteries 267 

Looking Toward Road by Which Confederates Approached . . . 269 

Dixon House, Used as Hospital 273 

The Gorge Which Is the Approach to the Battle Field, by Which the 
Union Forces Approached the Field 278 

Junction of Anthony's Creek and the James River and Kanawha Turn- 
pike. The Road in Center Was Filled with the Dead and Wounded. 
The Old House Has a Shell Hole in the End of It 282 

A Confederate Officer's Saber Found on the Battle Field the Day After 
the Fight. Now in the Collection of Ex-Governor MacCorkle . . 294 

One of the Portals of the Greenbrier 346 

The Greenbrier 347 

The Golf House 356 

The Lake, One of the Hazards of the Golf Course 358 

A View of the Upper End of the Golf Course 360 

Another View of Golf Course 363 

The White Sulphur in 1853. From an Oil Painting by E. Byers 
in 1853 395 

Account of Henry Clay 403 

Account of Commodore Decatur 405 

Bond of the Old White Sulphur Springs Company. Part of the Wreck 
of the War 406 



FOREWORD 

IT may seem strange to those that do not know 
the relation the White Sulphur Springs 
have ever borne to the South that one ear- 
nestly engaged in professional pursuits and 
occupied in business life should undertake the 
writing of its history. However, the White Sul- 
phur is so interwoven with the life of that sec- 
tion, — so intertwined with its history, sentiment, 
and feeling, — that the undertaking is worthy of 
any one. Indeed, the Springs offer a very engaging 
subject, and my only regret is that my time has 
been so occupied in other matters that I have hith- 
erto been unable to give proper thought and con- 
sideration to the history of an institution that has 
played a part so important in the life of the Old 
South. 

It was at the request of my friend, President 
Geo. W. Stevens, that I assumed the office of his- 
torian of this noted resort. 

It is especially fitting that at this time the his- 
tory of the White Sulphur should be prepared. 
Conditions are changing, and with them the 
Springs, upon which vast sums have been ex- 

ii 



12 Foreword 

pended in order to make them an international 
resort. 

The place is typical of the change of the South. 
New things have come to us, and possibly better 
things. New people are in our hills, valleys, and 
cities, new people are scattered over the fields of 
the South, and possibly they are better for the 
work that is before us. The last few years have 
made the change in the White Sulphur almost as 
complete as that which the times and the condi- 
tions of the present have made in the South. Still, 
to those of us whose years touch the receding days 
of the Old South, and who saw the glint of the 
vanishing sunlight of the romanticism of that day, 
there is a feeling akin to sadness at the realization 
of this change. However, everyone who knows 
believes that the days that are coming will be better 
than the days that are gone. 

Compiling a work of this kind puts one under 
great obligation to many people, for much labor, 
is involved in the preparation of a book that deals 
so largely with tradition and the statement of fact 
rather than with the written word. 

I acknowledge with thanks my indebtedness to 
the Hon. G. E. W. Wood, of Romont, W. Va., 
who has preserved the history of the James River 
and Kanawha Turnpike, its route, and stage 
houses; to Mrs. I. C. Cabell, for her reminiscences 
of "The Treadmill" at the White Sulphur; to the 



Foreword 13 

Hon. John A. Preston, of Lewisburg, W. Va., for 
his assistance in the preparation of the chapter 
on the War; to Mr. George Krebs, the expert 
geologist, of Charleston, W. Va., for information 
upon the geological conditions of the White Sul- 
phur; to Mr. Decatur Axtell for his very many 
kindnesses in furnishing material; to Mr. John D. 
Potts, the able and courteous General Passenger 
Agent of the Chesapeake & Ohio, for his many 
courtesies in the preparation of the pictures in 
the book; to Hon. Henry Gilmer, of Lewisburg, 
and Hon. C. W. Osenton, of Fayetteville, and 
W A. Mastin, of White Sulphur, for much infor- 
mation; to Maj. Randolph Stalnaker, of Wheel- 
ing, a native and lover of Greenbrier, for many 
interesting facts; to Gen. Roger A. Pryor for his 
consent to use the chapters from "The Colonel's 
Story," written by Mrs. Pryor, which, through 
the courtesy, too, of the publishers, The Mac- 
millan Company, I am permitted to embody 
herein. 

I am also under obligation to Messrs. Harper 
& Brothers for their courtesy in permitting the 
use of Mr. Charles Dudley Warner's chapter on 
the White Sulphur, which is taken from "Their 
Pilgrimage," a novel that was copyrighted by 
Harper & Brothers, 1886, and by Susan Lee 
Warner, 1914. The leaves from a "Journal of a 
Lady During a Season at the White Sulphur for 



14 Foreword 

the Year 1837," were taken from an old book writ- 
ten by Mark Pencil, Esq., and published in 1839, 
while the chapter on the waters, baths, and cura- 
tive resources of the White Sulphur Springs was 
written by Dr. George D. Kahlo, the eminent resi- 
dent medical director, who is probably the greatest 
authority in America on the conditions, properties, 
and effects of mineral waters. Furthermore, I am 
greatly indebted to my efficient secretary, Miss 
Stella Hess, for her preparation of copy and for 
the proof-reading of the pages. 

The writer hopes that in some degree the book 
will merit the approbation of those who, like him, 
are the children of the people that for more than 
a century made the White Sulphur their place of 
rest and recreation. 

William A. MacCorkle. 

Sunrise, 

Charleston, West Virginia. 
July 10, IQI5. 




ft. 



THE WHITE SULPHUR 
SPRINGS 



"ON THE WAY TO THE WHITE SULPHUR" 

WHEN the wayfarer turns his gaze 
toward the lordly Alleghanies, which 
enshrine the White Sulphur, and 
when the orange-hued Chesapeake & 
Ohio train touches the Virginia land, his face is 
lighted by history and his feet are on sacred soil. 
Drenched by the blood of Colonial warrior, Revo- 
lutionary patriot, English soldier, the man in the 
blue coat and the man in the gray, — here is soil 
upon which the traveler should tread with unsan- 
daled feet. 

"The Way to the White Sulphur," therefore, is 
a way filled with the recollections of great events. 
From the time Virginia is first entered at Alex- 
andria, — with its Revolutionary memories, vivid 
and clear, and those of the nearer and more terri- 
ble days of the war of i860, clinging around its 
quaint houses and old-time streets, — until the 

15 



1 6 The White Sulphur Springs 

banks of the Ohio River, far to the setting sun, are 
reached, the journey is one of absorbing interest 
to all those that love their country. And in addi- 
tion to its historical interest, here is a land of sur- 
passing mountains, sweet pastoral scenes, waving 
grass, beautiful streams, azure skies; a land stud- 
ded with marvelous elms, gleaming beeches, sturdy 
oaks; a land filled with the rhododendron, the ivy, 
and the magnolia; a land of soul-touching beauty 
that alone would make the journey worth while. 

The historical interest, however, of this region 
is, above all, absorbing. No sooner are you on 
Virginia's soil than the memories of the war's 
terrible days throng upon you, as the once blood- 
soaked field of Bull Run comes upon your sight, 
with Manassas directly by, where the crumbling 
earthworks seem to be guarded by the mighty 
spirit of Beauregard. Then, almost before these 
memories have touched your heart, comes Center- 
ville, the Stone Bridge, Warrenton, Sudley 
Springs, and Thoroughfare Gap. Here is Rap- 
pahannock, Brandy Station, Culpeper, the Rapi- 
dan; while, within a stone's throw are the slow 
waters, the grass, the trailing willows, and the 
scrub-oak of the Wilderness, where even to-day, in 
walking through its dark lanes, your foot will start 
from its half-century bed the corroding musket, 
or the Minie ball, that has lain there so long at 
rest from its labor of destruction. 







n. 



"On the Way to the White Sulphur" 17 

Ulysses Grant began his campaign on the James 
at Culpeper; and here and at Orange Court House 
and at Gordonsville loom the mighty spirits of 
that Federal commander and of Robert E. Lee. 
Every foot of the way you are journeying heard 
the boom of the cannon; over and across the rail- 
road's track marched in deadly conflict the forces 
of our country, and the spirits of Lee, Sheridan, 
Grant, Jackson, Pope, Burnside, McClellan, and 
Jeb Stuart accompany you along the path ; for here 
was where they mightily strove. 

Leaving the main line of the Chesapeake & Ohio 
road at Orange, in an hour you are at Fredericks- 
burg, where the old fortifications remain intact, 
and where the dreadful Marye's Hill is still prac- 
tically as it was in the time of the awful conflict. 
On this line, too, you are in touch with Chancel- 
lorsville, where Stonewall Jackson met his fate; 
and nearby is Spottsylvania Court House, redolent 
with the memories of Lee, Burnside, Hooker and 
Meade. Indeed, every battlefield of the great 
conflict is easily reached from this line, the very 
ties and rails of which are laid over a land sodden 
with the blood of brothers, — a land that echoed in 
every fastness to the crack of the rifle and the 
boom of the gun. Again, should you come into 
this historic land by way of Hampton Roads, over 
the Sea Division of the Chesapeake & Ohio, your 
footsteps are mingled with the echoes of the begin- 



1 8 The White Sulphur Springs 

nings of our country, for here are Jamestown and 
Yorktown. You pass through the land of Captain 
Smith, of Pocahontas and Powhatan, and at Wil- 
liamsburg the incidents of the uplifting of the cur- 
tain on the mighty drama of the Revolution gleam 
bright in the mind's eye. Here is the land that 
echoed to the mighty steps of the Father of His 
Country and to those of the men who were weld- 
ing together a liberty-bound country, — a country 
destined to be the delight of the coming genera- 
tions who believed in the equal rights of mankind. 

Here the lovely harbor of Hampton Roads, — 
the scene of the epoch-making engagement between 
the Monitor and the Merrimac, from which were 
begot the dreadnoughts and super-dreadnoughts 
of to-day, — stretches before you in all its beauty of 
cape, city, and bay. From this point on, your way 
to the quietude of the White Sulphur Springs is 
over the greatest fields of blood and iron on this 
continent. As you pass toward Virginia's capital, 
you see the battlefields of Malvern Hill, White 
Oak Station, Savage Station, and Seven Pines, 
with nearby the earthworks, still standing intact 
and time-defying, that witnessed the attacks and 
counter-attacks of Lee, Grant, and Jackson, in the 
tremendous struggle for devoted Richmond. 

Here, in this city, the heavy hand of history has 
written its record, deep and strong, in the enduring 
rock. From the days of its beginning until now 



"On the Way to the White Sulphur" 19 

it has been the very heart of a land of f ruitfulness 
and importance, and has been sought for by men 
and loved by people who know its beauty and 
majesty. It is replete with sacred memories of 
colonial conflict, revolutionary battle, and civil 
war. Jefferson, Lee, Washington, Marshall, Pat- 
rick Henry, Monroe, Madison, and the Fathers 
were part of its life and being, and all about stand 
mementos of their work. Lee, Jackson, Stuart, 
Beauregard, and Joe Johnson trod its streets; the 
growing serried line of blue, led by the silent 
gray man, witnessed its final conflict; and through 
its ways passed Abraham Lincoln, the tall sad man 
who, had he lived, would have made all things 
well with the South in the days of the closing of 
the fratricidal contest. 

"The Way to the White Sulphur" makes every 
historic bit of ground in Virginia easy of access, 
for through many of the places of deepest and 
mightiest memories have been laid the steel rails, 
and the ties that are binding our life. As you 
speed to the south and the west, the hill of Monti- 
cello, crowned by its beautiful temple built by 
Thomas Jefferson and glorified by the tomb of 
the Father of the Constitution, is almost within 
reach of your hand and you pass through the 
domains of the great University founded by this 
immortal son of Virginia. 

The hurrying line ere long brings you to the 



20 The White Sulphur Springs 

Valley of the Afton, where, under the shade of the 
Blue Ridge, nestles one of the most beautiful val- 
leys known to mankind. Now you are climbing 
the Blue Ridge Mountains, rioting in kaleido- 
scopic color, — at one moment a deep and glowing 
blue; again a brown; at another a dun, and before 
a minute is passed a pearl and gray and amethyst. 
This vast mountain range, wooded to its summit, 
glowing with its marvel of color, the reason for 
which no man knows, shuts out with its wall of 
mysterious hues the world from the granary of 
the South, the Valley of Virginia, — the fruitful 
land that supplied Stonewall Jackson's army, and 
where the women and the children of the South 
produced the grain to support the life of the armies 
in gray. Around these mountains hovers the sub- 
lime spirit of Stonewall Jackson. 

Every road through this Valley is historic. 
Through Ashby's, Manassas, Thoroughfare, and 
Thorn's Gaps emerged the gray-clad armies to 
fall like a thunderbolt upon those seeking to pene- 
trate the fastnesses of the Valley. Back and forth, 
up and down, across these railroad tracks, ebbed 
and surged the men in blue and those in gray, — 
each army bent on possessing this great grain-house 
of the Confederate government. This was the 
land scourged by Hunter and Sheridan; and the 
desolated fields, the roofless houses, and the de- 
nuded chimneys pointing to the sky, all long at- 



"On the Way to the White Sulphur" 211 

tested that this was the land needed by the North 
and defended so desperately by the sons of the 
South. Passing across its marvelous panorama of 
waving fields, — with its splendor of pastoral life 
and its wonder of blue mountains, — where the 
bright grain and the bladed corn and the re-created 
home have blotted out the scars of war, erelong 
the great walls of the Alleghanies come in sight, 
and you are in the midst of a phantasmagoria of 
pine-clad mountains, jutting foot-hills, tremen- 
dous heights, green and smiling valleys, sky-reach- 
ing water-falls, clear and purling streams, and 
under an azure sky you find nestled, in the very 
heart of these mighty mountains, beneath the shade 
of ancient oaks and great rich pines and cedars the 
"Old White," rejuvenated and reglorified by the 
hand of science and modern energy and wealth, 
yet sweet with the memories and glorious with the 
traditions of the past. 

Were you to approach it from the west, from 
the moment you leave the Ohio River the scen- 
ery is of surpassing interest. Those who have 
seen the famous places of the old world attest that 
nowhere is there a fairer creation than that land 
under the eyes of the traveler on "The Way to the 
White" from the region of the setting sun. Here, 
too, you are on historic territory, for this was the 
most teeming hunting ground of the Shawnees, 
Pawnees, and Mingoes, and through the Kanawha 



22 The White Sulphur Springs 

region, from the Ohio River to the Gauley Falls, 
was the land where these people worshiped their 
unknown gods. It is filled with wonderful moun- 
tains, with great burying grounds, with strange 
crumbling walls that wend their way over the 
mountains, where the rocks are touched with the 
rude paintings of other days. The land is filled 
with the implements of battle and the chase, and 
the soil is sown with the arrow-head and the toma- 
hawk, and on every side are to be found the pestle 
and the mortar and the stone mill in which the 
maize was ground for the daily sustenance of these 
aboriginal beings. 

The names of the streams: — the Kanawha, the 
Tiskelwah (the river of elk), and the Pocataligo 
(the river of fat bison), — all bear evidence of the 
fact that here was the land of fruitfulness and 
plenty. Through this region the sturdy settlers 
from Virginia passed, and here they fought the 
Battle of Point Pleasant, which was the first bat- 
tle of the Revolution, and which broke the power 
of the Shawnees, the Pawnees, and the Middle 
West Indians. Over the ground that you are trav- 
eling to-day the Indian warriors passed when on 
their warpath to destroy the settlements of the 
white man in Eastern Virginia. 

Through these marvelous defiles, by these bright 
waters, and over these mountains that you are pass- 
ing so swiftly, the settlers, with pack saddle, wagon, 



"On the Way to the White Sulphur" 23 

and on foot, went into the region of the West, to 
supply the great states of Indiana, Kentucky, Illi- 
nois and Ohio with their splendid populations. 
Here, in this Valley, was the land spied out by 
Washington when he was a surveyor, the land that 
afterward was taken up and held by him and his 
descendants through the passing years, and these 
mountains are the mountains of West Augusta to 
which the Father of His Country alluded in the 
hour of his despair, when he exclaimed that if all 
were lost, he would take the flag of liberty to this 
land and there he would defend the principles of 
freedom forevermore. 

In these mountains and valleys, too, were dread- 
ful conflicts during the war of the '6o's. The blue 
and the gray marched and counter-marched, 
fought, won victories, and were in turn defeated in 
this region through which you are so swiftly pass- 
ing. To-day on the hill-crests arise the fortifica- 
tions that are almost as perfect as when completed 
fifty years ago. Throughout the Valley of the 
Kanawha, if you will but look from your car win- 
dow, you will see covered with the grass of fifty 
years past, the rifle-pits and stockades constructed 
by the blue and the gray when they contended for 
what they thought to be right. It is a land almost 
beyond compare in its absorbing interest, both 
human and political. 

Here is the beautiful Kanawha, with its fringed 



24 The White Sulphur Springs 

banks, its sweet valley, just beginning to rise at 
the touch of the foot-hills of the mighty Allegha- 
nies, and through this valley you hasten to the won- 
derful canon of the New River, where is to be 
viewed a scene unsurpassed in its beauty and sub- 
limity by any other in our country. This is a nar- 
row gorge, more than one hundred miles in length, 
where the railroad almost touches the water at 
times, while at others it rests like a shelf on the 
mountainside, and anon is overhung by mountains 
a thousand to two thousand feet in height, with 
sheer precipices dropping down hundreds of feet. 
Sometimes abutting crags overhang the train, then 
it passes on under the shade of mountains clothed 
to the tops with verdure, where the magnolia, the 
ivy, the beech, the oak, the linden, and the poplar 
lift their mighty arms and where the forest of the 
North mingles with that of the South in a splen- 
dor seldom equaled on this continent. 

You thunder past the mighty Hawk's Nest and 
almost under the shade of the great Sewell, and 
standing over you is the great cliff of the South 
Side. Thus on for one hundred miles you jour- 
ney through a mighty cleft in the very bosom of 
the earth, wrought in the countless ages past by 
the beautiful river that wends its way over thun- 
dering waterfalls and great bowlders, now lashing 
itself to fury in a narrow channel, and anon spread- 
ing its waters upon the pellucid surface of its quiet 



"On the Way to the White Sulphur" 2$ 

bed. Then you swiftly pass through the sweetness 
of the Greenbrier country, — with its crowned 
mountains, its fertile fields, its fat cattle and pros- 
perous people, its springs, its clear streams, its blue 
grass, its limestone hills, and its splendid men and 
women, — to where the open portals of the famous 
Greenbrier and the historic White welcome you 
to their health-giving waters, their sunlight, and 
their repose. 



II 

THE COUNTRY OF THE WHITE SULPHUR 

THE White Sulphur Springs are located 
in the midst of the fair valley of How- 
ard's Creek, and only six miles from the 
crest of the mighty Alleghanies, which 
form the backbone between the valley of the Miss- 
issippi and coastal region of the Atlantic Ocean. 
They are just on the edge of the Valley of the 
Greenbrier River, which was given its name in 
1761 by Col. John Lewis' tangling his foot in the 
green briar vines, which grow luxuriantly on the 
banks of the stream. The waters, passing by Cal- 
lahan's, — only a few miles east of the White Sul- 
phur, — flow through Jackson's River and the 
James into the Atlantic Ocean; while, only half a 
dozen miles away, the waters of Howard's Creek, 
passing the White Sulphur, join the Ohio through 
the Greenbrier, the New River, and the Great 
Kanawha, and are lost in the waters of the Gulf of 
Mexico. The country about is a fair land of un- 
surpassed fertility of soil, with exquisite moun- 
tains, covered in the summer with a rare splen- 

26 




- 



The Country of the White Sulphur 27 

dor of deep foliage that holds up to their very 
tops a wonderful combination of all the shades of 
the forest. It is a land of fat cattle; and the coun- 
try about was the hunting-ground of the Middle 
West Indians, who were gradually pushed from 
the Valley across the Alleghanies, down the New 
and Kanawha Rivers, to the Ohio and the West. 
Game abounded there, the corn grew quickly, the 
waters were clear and pure, neither the heat nor 
the cold were extreme, making it an idyllic land, 
filled with bubbling springs, green grass, and a 
kindly soil, — a land early spied out by the white 
man, and vigorously fought for by the Indian. 
This was the region through which the original 
trails were made by the buffalo from Virginia 
through Western Virginia. These herds, in their 
migrations, which were as sure as the seasons, 
crossed the Valley; and the Indian followed the 
buffalo, and the white man followed the Indian. 
Tradition and history show that the trail through 
the White Sulphur was one of the most important 
buffalo trails. This trail is sometimes called the 
Lewis Trail and sometimes the Old Indian Trail. 
Coming by way of Jackson's River and up Dun- 
lap's Creek, and crossing over on Dry Creek to 
White Sulphur and Fort Union (now Lewisburg) , 
the bison used to pass through Greenbrier and 
Fayette, closely following the divide of Meadow 



28 The White Sulphur Springs 

and New Rivers, to the present town of Ansted, 
where, to avoid the bluffs of the New River Canon, 
they turned in a northerly direction and ascended 
a spur of Gauley Mountain, the divide between 
Westlake's Branch and Turkey Creek. Crossing 
the main Gauley Mountain, at a point known as 
the Indian Spring on the headwaters of Rich 
Creek, the herd would go down Rich Creek to 
Gauley River, eight miles above Gauley Branch, 
thence down Gauley River two miles, and ford- 
ing it three times to avoid the bluffs to the mouth 
of Twenty-Mile Creek, would pass up Twenty- 
Mile Creek to the north of Bell Creek (one-half 
mile), thence up Bell Creek to the divide of the 
Kanawha and Gauley waters, and down Hughes 
or Kelley's Creek to the Kanawha River. Here 
the buffalo found themselves in the broad, grassy, 
and rich bottoms of the Kanawha River, and near 
to the great levels of the Ohio. 

In 1774 the British incited the Indians on the 
Ohio to attack the colonists. It is proved beyond 
a question that the intention of the British was to 
keep the colonists busy with their own preserva- 
tion, so that they would not be able to interfere in 
the governmental affairs of their country. Gen. 
Andrew Lewis, a member of the House of Bur- 
gesses, from Botetourt County, was chosen to raise 
an army and resist the attack of the Indians, while 
Governor Dunmore was to take another division, 



The Country of the White Sulphur 29 

by way of the Monongahela and Potomac rivers 
and meet General Lewis at the mouth of the Kana- 
wha River. 

General Lewis raised his army from the coun- 
ties of Augusta, Botetourt, and Fincastle, and 
made his headquarters at Camp Union (now 
Lewisburg), nine miles from the White Sulphur, 
at which point he and his men were to begin their 
march through the trackless forest to the Ohio 
River. The buffalo trail was the one traveled by 
General Lewis and his army, under his command 
and that of Col. Charles Lewis, his brother. They 
left Lewisburg on the eleventh of September, 1774, 
and reached the Ohio River on the thirtieth of the 
same month. Governor Dunmore did not meet 
General Lewis at the time he had agreed to do so, 
having never intended so to do; and on the tenth 
of October Cornstalk, one of the ablest of the In- 
dian chiefs, attacked General Lewis, and one of 
the most important and memorable battles in our 
colonial history was fought. This battle broke 
the power of the Ohio Indians, and was practically 
the first battle of the Revolution. Over this road 
came the emigrants that settled in the Middle 
West, and this was the trail that Anne Bailey rode. 

Will you let me briefly tell the story of Anne 
Bailey, — so well known to the people of Green- 
brier and Kanawha? Here it is: 



30 The White Sulphur Springs 

George Clendenin in 1788 had erected on the 
Kanawha, at the mouth of the Elk, at what is 
now Charleston, the block-house known on the 
frontier as Clendenin's Fort, and he named it 
in honor of Gov. Henry Lee, of Virginia. It 
was the last outpost of civilization on the south- 
western frontier of Virginia, with the exception 
of Fort Randolph at Point Pleasant, far out on 
the banks of the Ohio. These two forts were the 
Indians' first objective points of attack in their 
efforts to stem the tide of the white invasion. One 
hundred miles further inland, in the heart of the 
Alleghanies, was Fort Savannah, the fort at 
Lewisburg. 

In 1791 Fort Lee was beleaguered by the In- 
dians, a great body of them, far surpassing in 
number the meager list of its brave defenders. 
Just as the war-whoop sounded, and the dreadful 
scream of savage battle pierced the air, a fearful 
discovery was made by the defenders of the fort. 
The supply of powder in the magazine was al- 
most exhausted, and it seemed that the destruction 
of all the men and women of that devoted band 
was at hand. It was one hundred miles to Lewis- 
burg, the only place from which a supply of 
powder could be obtained; and the way lay 
through a forest filled with Indians on the war 
path, along trackless ways, across deep rivers, and 
over the mountains through a region where hith- 



The Country of the White Sulphur 31 

erto only the wild animal, the wilder Indian, or 
the frontier warrior, had made their way. 

Colonel Clendenin summoned the garrison to 
assemble and called for volunteers who would 
leave their families and undertake the journey of 
one hundred miles to Fort Lewisburg. There 
was not a single response even from those men 
whose lives had been spent in battle and danger. 
It was almost sure death, and each man knew it. 

In the midst of the silence a determined voice 
was suddenly heard. 

"I will go," it said. 

And looking around, the eyes of the assembled 
soldiers fell upon Anne Bailey, a woman of heroic 
mold, intrepid spirit, and dauntless character. 

The best horse in the stockade was brought and 
saddled, the door was opened and she went forth 
like a wraith into the trackless forest thick with 
the Indians besieging the fort. She sped up the 
Valley of the Kanawha, over the torrent of the 
Gauley, over the Gauley Mountains, and past 
the great divide between the Meadow and Gauley 
rivers, never resting excepting to feed her horse. 
Day and night were nothing to her on her tre- 
mendous errand of heroism and mercy. Without 
stopping to sleep a moment, she made the journey, 
and the welcome gates of Fort Lewisburg were 
opened to her. 

A short rest, a bite to eat, and she was furnished 



32 The White Sulphur Springs 

with a horse in addition to her own, and both 
animals were laden with powder. Though the 
officer in command at Lewisburg offered to send 
a guard with her, she would not have one. They 
were unable to send sufficient men to assist her 
should an attack be made upon her, and her sal- 
vation depended upon the quiet in which she 
might make her journey. Day and night she 
again pressed through the wilderness, this time 
with her face turned to the west, one hope animat- 
ing her life, — the hope of saving the lives of the 
garrison at Fort Lee. 

After the darkness of the night, when hope had 
died away in the heart of the garrison, a quiet 
knocking was heard at the gates of Fort Lee, and 
with sufficient powder to preserve the defenders 
from destruction by the Indians, Anne Bailey was 
admitted to the Fort and the outposts of civiliza- 
tion in the West were saved from fire and toma- 
hawk. 

Great deeds have been done and recorded by 
history, but no chronicle surpasses in heroism, dar- 
ing, and skill the two-hundred-mile ride of Anne 
Bailey through a trackless wilderness from Lewis- 
burg to Fort Lee. 

Past this historic place flowed the great tide of 
travel from the beginning of the settlement of our 
country up to the time of the building of the pres- 
ent Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. It was a famous 






The Country of the White Sulphur 33 

route to the west. The dream of the Virginians 
was to join the waters of the James River with the 
Ohio through the Greenbrier River, the New, and 
the Kanawha, and establish a water connection 
between the East and the West through the then 
imperial domain of Virginia. The James River 
and Kanawha Turnpike followed the Lewis buf- 
falo trail from the White Sulphur to the present 
town of Ansted, and here it left the Lewis trail and 
kept on its westward course down New River to 
the mouth of Gauley, and thence down the Kana- 
wha. 

In the old days this route was a national stage 
line, along which the people came from the East 
and South by way of Fredericksburg, or Rich- 
mond, to the passes of the Blue Ridge, thence 
across the Valley; or from Harper's Ferry up the 
Valley to Staunton and thence from Staunton to 
the White Sulphur and on over the Alleghanies to 
the west. The old Concord stages were famous in 
their day, and Henry Clay and the statesmen of 
the Middle West passed along this road to and 
from their duties at Washington. Stage houses, 
noted the country over, were along this line. They 
were known in story and song, through travel and 
adventure, to the hundreds of thousands of people 
who passed over the Blue Ridge and the Alle- 
ghany to the White Sulphur Springs and to the 
West. It is interesting to know the names of these 



34 The White Sulphur Springs 

houses and of the proprietors who made famous 
the great stage stands of the James River and 
Kanawha Turnpike. The list is as follows: 

Lewisburg D. H. Stalnaker. 

Seven Miles West of Lewis- 
burg Mose Dwyer. 

Top of Meadow Mountain David Hanna. 

Top of Little Sewell Moun- 
tain Thomas Hemming. 

Sewell Valley Hanson Hickman. 

Big Sewell Mountain . . Jacob Sturgeon. 

Mountain House . . . . M. Smailes. 

Sewell Mountain (W est 

Side) John Walker. 

Foot of Big Sewell Moun- 
tain Stone House . . Francis Tyree. 

Locust Lane Doctor Cooper. 

Dekalb (Now Lookout) . Col. George Alderson. 

Pleasant Hill Samuel Lewis. 

Sunday Road John Beats. 

Dogwood Gap .... William Wood. 

Mountain Cove (50 Miles 

From Lewisburg) . . Clemen Vaughan. 

New Haven Samuel Pickett. 

Ansted Col. William Tyree. 

Hawk's Nest Col. Thomas Hamilton. 

Gauley Mountain .... William Zoll. 

Gauley Bridge (West Side) J. H. Miller. 

Gauley Bridge (East Side 

Gauley) Colonel Munsey. 




Dan Nihoof 



Facing page 34 



The Country of the White Sulphur 35 

Kanawha Falls .... Colonel Aaron Stockton. 
Boomer's Branch . . . . J. P. Huddleston. 

Hughes' Creek William Bowsman. 

Ten Mile House . . . . J. B. Malone. 
Charleston John G. Wright. 



Along this route, too, in the quiet little town of 
Ansted, sleeps Stonewall Jackson's mother. 

The whole of this route is filled with recollec- 
tions of the War. Along the road are the en- 
trenchments of Floyd, Wise, Loring, Lee and 
Rosecrans, in almost as good preservation as 
when they were constructed. The cave in which 
the household goods of the people were stored and 
in which refuge was taken in Civil and Indian 
wars is there just as it was in the days of trouble. 
Here on every point and hillside are the graves 
of the soldiers who died in this great contest for 
the control of the Ohio River and Western Vir- 
ginia. The old barricades, which were used to 
block the roads when Hunter was driven across 
the Big Sewell in hurried flight, killing his horses 
and abandoning his wagons that he might escape, 
are rotting but still in existence. The chestnut 
tree under which General Lee encamped still 
stands, and at Armstrong are the remains of the 
great camp constructed by Rosecrans in his con- 
test with Lee. The spy rock at Lookout still rears 
its lofty head, from which the settlers in the early 



36 The White Sulphur Springs 

days and the sentinels in the war looked out over 
the marvelous expanse for their enemies. The 
whole line of the road is replete with historic 
memory, and affords the most marvelous views of 
lofty mountains, deep gorge, and winding stream 
to be seen in America. In these days of good 
roads it will ere long be one of the wonder trips 
of the world. 

Over the pass on the White Sulphur grounds 
where the James River and Kanawha Turnpike 
crosses the Alleghanies there is being erected a 
granite monument marking its route. Upon it is 
the inscription, which will in enduring granite 
commemorate the historic life of this famous road: 

THE GREAT BUFFALO TRAIL BETWEEN THE VALLEY 
OF VIRGINIA AND THE OHIO VALLEY HERE CROSSED 
THE ALLEGHANY MOUNTAINS, AND THIS PASS WAS 
USED BY THE INDIANS OF THE OHIO VALLEY WHEN AT- 
TACKING THE SETTLEMENTS OF VIRGINIA. THROUGH 
IT WAS CONSTRUCTED THE JAMES RIVER AND KANA- 
WHA TURNPIKE, THE GREAT THOROUGHFARE CON- 
NECTING THE JAMES RIVER AND THE WEST, OVER 
WHICH FLOWED FROM THE SOUTH AND EAST AN IM- 
PORTANT PORTION OF THE SETTLERS WHO FOUNDED 
AND DEVELOPED THE STATES OF KENTUCKY, OHIO, 
MISSOURI, INDIANA, ILLINOIS, AND WEST VIRGINIA, 
AND WHO WERE POTENTIAL FACTORS IN THE CREATION 
AND LIFE OF MANY OTHER STATES OF THE REPUBLIC 
WEST OF THE OHIO RIVER. THIS ROAD FOR A CENTURY 
HAS BEEN THE SCENE OF MANY OF THE MOST IMPOR- 



The Country of the White Sulphur 37 

TANT EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. 
THIS MONUMENT WAS ERECTED OCTOBER 1 5, 1915, BY 
WILLIAM A. MAC CORKLE, FORMER GOVERNOR OF THE 
STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA; GEORGE W. STEVENS AND 
DECATUR AXTELL OF VIRGINIA; JOSEPH E. CHILTON 
AND CHARLES CAMERON LEWIS, JR., OF WEST VIRGINIA, 
AND GENERAL EDWARD P. MEANY OF KENTUCKY. 

From the White Sulphur are many accessible 
places of enticing interest to those that love the 
quietude and peace of sweet country life. Among 
these places are the beautiful old town of Union, 
in the Blue-Grass region of Monroe, and the 
quaint town of Lewisburg, with its quiet streets, 
its kindly houses, and the old stone church with 
its inscription over the door: 

THIS BUILDING 

WAS ERECTED IN THE YEAR 1 796 AT THE EXPENSE OF 

A FEW OF THE FIRST INHABITANTS OF THE LAND, 

TO COMMEMORATE THEIR AFFECTION AND ESTEEM 

FOR THE HOLY GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. 

READER, 

IF YOU ARE INCLINED TO APPLAUD THEIR VIRTUE, GIVE 

GOD THE GLORY. 

The church at Lewisburg will reward one for 
a visit. Built in 1776 by Col. John Stuart and 
his wife, — the one contributing one hundred and 
fifty pounds and the other five hundred pounds, — 
the edifice was made of stones each one of which 
was made to fit its place, since there was no ma- 



38 The White Sulphur Springs 

chinery at that time to cut the stones. The cement 
still in the walls is so hard that there is great curi- 
osity as to how it was made. 

The White is the center of the great springs re- 
gion of West Virginia. In this district every qual- 
ity and kind of mineral water bubbles up from the 
depths of the earth. The Blue Sulphur, the Red 
Sulphur, the Hot, the Healing, the Warm, the 
Green Sulphur, the Salt Sulphur, the Sweet 
Chalybeate, Pence Springs, and the Old Sweet, — 
all are within two or three hours' distant by motor, 
over good roads, and through the most picturesque 
country. Nothing more beautiful charms the eye 
nor touches the heart on the continent of America. 
Nowhere are there more exquisitely rounded 
mountains, more beautiful defiles, more limpid, 
babbling waters, or such matchless color, and no- 
where can there be found a more life-giving and 
invigorating tonic than the wine of the air which 
you drink, as it wafts itself over the pine-clad 
mountains of the Alleghanies. It is health within 
itself, with all the accessories of the most alluring 
comforts of civilization, of the romanticism of the 
old days of the heyday splendor of the South, of 
the fierce combat of the North and South, and the 
struggles of the days when the white man contested 
with the Indian for the ownership of this splendid 
region. 

The men that settled the White Sulphur region 



The Country of the White Sulphur 39 

and the Valley of Virginia were the Scotch-Irish, 
who emigrated from Northern Ireland. They 
were Protestants of the most distinct type, and 
Thomas Nelson Page, in "The Old South," thus 
speaks of them: 

By a strange destiny, almost immediately succeed- 
ing this discovery, the vitality of the colony received 
an infusion of another element, which became in the 
sequel a strong part of that life which in its develop- 
ment made the "Southern civilization." 

This element occupied the new valley and changed 
it from a hunting-ground to a garden. The first set- 
tler, it is said, came to it by an instinct as imperative 
as that which brought the dove back to the ark of 
safety. It was not the dove, however, which came 
when John Lewis settled in this valley; but an eagle, 
and in his eyry he reared a brood of young who have 
been ever ready to strike for the South. He had been 
forced to leave Ireland because he had slain his land- 
lord, who was attempting to illegally evict him, and 
the curious epitaph on his tomb begins, "Here lies 
John Lewis, who slew the Irish Lord." 

He was followed by the McDowells, Alexanders, 
Prestons, Grahams, Reids, McLaughlins, Moores, 
Wallaces, McCluers, Mathews, Woods, Campbells, 
Waddells, Greenlees, Bowyers, Andersons, Breckin- 
ridges, Paxtons, Houstons, Stuarts, Gambles, McChes- 
neys, McCorkles, Wilsons, McNutts, and many others, 
whose descendants have held the highest offices in the 
land which their fortitude created, and who have ever 



4-0 The White Sulphur Springs 

thrown on the side of principle the courage, resolution, 
and loyalty with which they held out for liberty and 
Protestantism in the land from which they came. 

It was a sturdy strain which had suddenly flung it- 
self along the frontier, and its effect has been plainly 
discernible in the subsequent history of the Old South; 
running a somewhat somber thread in the woof of its 
civilization, but giving it "a body" which perhaps it 
might otherwise not have possessed. 

I append, as most interesting, the memorandum 
of Col. John Stuart, referred to in the passage just 
quoted, a member of the Scotch-Irish stock and 
one of our greatest men and most heroic pioneers, 
who made it in 1798, and left it as a note on the 
history of the Greenbrier Country. 

MEMORANDUM 1 798, JULY 15TH 
BY JOHN STUART 

The inhabitants of every country and place are de- 
sirous to inquire after the first founders, and in order 
to gratify the curious or such who may hereafter be 
inclined to be informed of the origin of the settle- 
ments made in Greenbrier, I leave this memorandum 
for their satisfaction being the only person at this 
time alive acquainted with the circumstances of its 
discovery and manner of settling. Born in Augusta 
county and the perticulars of this place often related 



The Country of the White Sulphur 41 

to me from my childhood by the first adventurers I 
can relate with certainty that our river was first dis- 
covered about the year 1749 by the white people — 
some say Jacob Marlin was the first person who dis- 
covered it; others that a man of an unsound mind, 
whos name I don't now remember, had wandered 
from Frederick county through the mountains and on 
his return reported "he had seen a river runing west- 
ward, supposed to be Greenbrier river. However, 
Jacob Marlin and Stephen Suiel were the first settlers 
at the mouth of Knaps creek above what is now called 
the little levels on the land still bearing the name of 
Marlins. These two men lived there in a kind of 
hermitage, having no familys, but frequently differing 
in sentiment which ended in rage. Marlin kept pos- 
session of the cabin whilst Suiel took up his aboad in 
the trunk of a large tree at a small distance, and thus 
living more independant, their animosities would abate 
and sociality ensued. Not long after they had made 
their settlement on the river, the country was explored 
by the late General Andrew Lewis at that time a 
noted and famous woodsman, on whos report an order 
of council was obtained granting one hundred thou- 
sand acres of lands on Greenbrier to the Honbl. John 
Robinson (Treasurer of Virginia) & Co. to the num- 
ber of twelve, including old Colo. John Lewis and his 
two sons, William and Charles, with condition of set- 
tleing the land with inhabitants, certain emoluments of 
three pounds per hundred acres to themselves. But 
the war breaking out between England and France in 
the year 1755, and the Indians being excited by the 



42 The White Sulphur Springs 

French to make war on the back inhabitants of Vir- 
ginia, all who were then settled on Greenbrier were 
obliged to retreat to the older settlements for safety, 
amongst whom was Jacob Marlin, but Suiel fell a 
sacrifice to the enemy: This war ended in 1762, and 
then some people returned and settled in Greenbrier 
again, amongst whom was Archibald Clendenin, whose 
residence was on the lands now claimed by John 
Davis by virtue of an intermarrige with his daughter 
and lying two miles west of Lewisburg. 

The Indians breaking out again in 1763, came up 
the Kenawha in a large body, to the number of sixty 
and coming to the house of Frederick Sea, on Muddy 
creek, were kindly entertained by him and Felty Yolk- 
cum, not suspecting their hostile design were suddenly 
killed and their famileys, with many others, made 
prisoners; then proceeding over the mountain they 
came to Archibald Clendenin, who like Sea and Yolk- 
cum, entertained them untill they put him to death; his 
family with a number of others living with him being 
all made prisoners or killed, not any one escaping ex- 
cept Conrad Yolkcum, who doubting the design of the 
Indians when they came to Clendenin, took his horse 
out under the pretence of hobbling him at some dis- 
tance from the house. Soon after some guns were 
fired at the horse and a loud cry raised by the people, 
whereupon Yolkcum taking the alarm, mounted his 
horse and rode off as far as where the Court House 
now stands, then beginning to ruminate whether he 
might not be mistaken in his apprehensions, concluded 
to return and know the truth, but just as he came to 



The Country of the White Sulphur 43 

the corner of Clendenin's fence some Indians placed 
there presented their guns and attempted to shoot him, 
but their guns all missed fire (he thinks at least ten) 
he immediately fled to Jackson's River, alarming the 
people as he went, but few were willing to believe him; 
the Indians pursued after him and all that fell in their 
way were slain until they went on Carr's creek, now 
in Rockbridge county. So much people were them 
days intimidated by an attack of the Indians that they 
were suffered to retreat with all their booty and more 
prisoners than there was Indians in their party. I 
will here relate a narrative of Archbl. Clendenin's 
wife, being a prisoner with her young child as they 
were passing over Keeney's nob from Muddy creek, a 
part of the Indians being in front with the remainder 
behind and the prisoners in the center, Mrs. Clendenin 
hands her child to another woman to carry and she 
slipped to one side and hid herself in a bush, but the 
Indians soon missing her one of them observed he 
would soon bring the cow to her calf and taking the 
child, caused it to cry very loud, but the mother not 
appearing, he took the infant and beat out its brains 
against a tree, then throwing it down in the road, all 
the people and horses that were in the rear passed 
over it untill it was trod to pieces. Many more cruel- 
ties were commited two horid to be related, and too 
many to be contained in this memorandum. Thus was 
Greenbrier once more depopulated for six years, but 
a peace being concluded with the Indians in 1765, and 
in the lands on the western waters with certain 
bounderys being purchased at a treaty at Fort 



44 The White Sulphur Springs 

Stanioix by Andw. Lewis and Thomas Walker, com- 
missioners appointed by Government, the people again 
returned to settle in Greenbrier in 1769, and I myself 
was amongst the first of those last adventurers, being 
at that time about nineteen years of age, with W. 
Robert McClenachan another very young man, our de- 
sign was to secure lands and encourrage a settlement 
in the county, but the Indians breaking out again in 
1774, Colo. Andrew Lewis was ordered by the Earl of 
Dunmore (then Governor of Virginia) to march 
against them with fifteen hundred volunteer militia, 
which army marched from Camp Union (Now Lewis- 
burg), the nth day of Septmr., 1774, two companys 
of the said army being raised in Greenbrier and com- 
manded by Capt. Robt. McClenachan and myself, we 
were met by the Indians on the 10th day of October 
at the mouth of the Kenawha and a very obstinate 
engagement ensued, the Indians were defeated, tho 
with the loss of seventy-five officers and soldiers, 
amongst the slain was Colo. Chas. Lewis, who com- 
manded the Augusta militia and my friend, Capt. 
Robt. McClenachan. Colo. Andw. Lewis pursued his 
victory, crossing the Ohio untill we were in sight of 
some Indian towns on the waters of Siota, where we 
were met by the Earl of Dunmore who commanded 
an army in person and had made his rout by the way 
of Fort Pitt; the Governor capitulating with the In- 
dians, Colo. Lewis was ordered to retreat and the next 
year hostilities commenced between the British and 
Americans at Boston in New England and I have since 
been informed by Colo. Lewis that the Earl of Dun- 



The Country of the White Sulphur 45 

more (the King's Governor) knew of the attack to 
be made upon us by the Indians at the mouth of 
Kenawha, and hoped our distraction; this secret was 
communicated to him by indisputable authority. 

Independence being declared by America the 4th of 
July, 1776, and the people assuming the ranes of gov- 
ernment, a county was granted to the people of Green- 
brier under the commonwealth, in May, 1778, and a 
court was first held at my house on the 3 Tuesday in 
said month, not long after which we were invaded 
again by the Indians who had taken part with the 
British and on the 28th day of the same month Colo. 
Andrew Donnally's house was attacked about eight 
miles from Lewisburg by two hundred Indians; these 
Indians were pursued from the mouth of the Kenawha 
by two scouts from that garrison to wit, Phil. Ham- 
mon and John Prior, and passing the Indians at the 
Meadows gave inteligence to Colo. Donnallys of their 
approach who instantly collected about twenty men 
and the next morning sustained the attack of the enemy 
until he was relieved about two o'clock by sixty men 
from Lewisburg. I was one of the number and we 
got into the house, unhurt, being favored by a field 
of rye which grew close up to the house, the Indians 
being all on the oposite side. Four men were killed 
before we got in, and about sixteen Indians lay dead 
in the yard before the door, some of these were taken 
off in the night but we scalped nine the next morning; 
this was the last time the Indians invaded Greenbrier 
in any large party. 

Peace with the British followed in 178 1, and then 



46 The White Sulphur Springs 

the people of this county began to make some feeble 
efforts to regulate their society, and to open roads and 
passes for waggons through the mountains, which by 
many had been thought impracticable no waggon at 
that time having ever approached nearer than the 
Warm Springs — one petition the assembly granted, a 
law impowering the court to levy a certain annual sum 
in commutables from the inhabitans, for the purpose 
of opening a road from the court house to the Warm 
Springs. A convenancy so necessary for the impor- 
tation of salt and other necessarys of lumber, as well 
as conveying our hemp and other heavy ware to mar- 
ket, would readily be expected to receive the appro- 
bation of every one, but such is the perverse disposition 
of some men, unwilling that any should share advan- 
tages in preference to themselves that this laudable 
measure was oposed by Mr. William Hutchinson, who 
had first represented the county in general assembly 
— on this occasion without the privvity of the people, 
went at his own expence to Richmond and by his in- 
sinuations to some of the members with unfair repre- 
sentations obtained a suspention of the law for two 
years, but the following year Colo. Thorn's. Adams, 
who visited this county, satisfied with the impropriety 
of Hutchinson's representations had the suspention 
repealed and full powers were allowed to the court 
to levy money for the purpose aforesaid, and by this 
means a waggon road was opened from the Court 
House to the Warm Springs, which made way for 
the same to the Sweet Springs. The paper money 
issued for mentaining our war against the British, 



The Country of the White Sulphur 47 

became totally depreciated, and there was not a suffi- 
cient quantity of specie in circulation to enable the 
people to pay the revenue tax assessed upon the citi- 
zens of this county, wherefore we fell in arrears to the 
public for four years. But the assembly again taking 
our remote situation under consideration gresiously 
granted the sum of £5000 of our said arrears to be 
applied to the purpose of opening a road from Lewis- 
burg to Kenawha river. The people greatful for such 
indulgance willingly embraced the opportunity of such 
an offer and every person liable for arrears of tax 
agreed to perform labour equivalent on the road, and 
the people being formed into districts with each a su- 
perintendent the road was completed in the space of 
two months in the year 1786, and thus was a com- 
munication by waggons to the navigable waters of 
the Kenawha first effected and which will probably be 
found the nighest and best conveyance from the east- 
ern to the western country that will ever be knowen — 
may I here hazerd a conjecture that has often occured 
to me since I inhabited this place, that nature has de- 
signed this part of the world a peacable retreat for 
some of her favorite children, where pure morals will 
be perserved by seeparating them from other societys 1 
at so respectful a distance by ridges of mountains; 
and I sincerely wish time may prove my conjecture 
rational and true. 

From the springs of salt water discovered along 
our river, banks of iron oar, mines pragnant with salt 
petre, and forrests of sugar trees so amply provided 
and so easely acquired I have no doubt but the future 



48 The White Sulphur Springs 

inhabitants of this country will surely avail themselves 
of such singular advantages greatly to their comfort 
and satisfaction and render them a greatful and happy 
people. 

It will be remembered that Lewisburg was first 
settled by Capt. Mathew Arbuckle after the town was 
laid off in the year 1780, and took its name in honor 
of the familys of the Lewis's in consequence of their 
holding a large claim in the Greenbrier grant. Capt. 
Arbuckle was killed the following year in a storm 
of wind by the falling of a tree on the branch leading 
from the turn of the waters of Anthonys creek to 
Jackson's river; he was distinguished for his bravery, 
especially in the battle with the Indians at Point 
Pleasant. 




ten 



Ill 

TITLE AND HISTORY 

FROM the day that the portals of the Alle- 
ghanies were set wide by the white man 
and he was able to peer through their 
mighty doorways in the descending sun- 
light of the West, the White Sulphur has been 
battled for by the warrior of the forest and by 
the man of civilization. Long before the white 
man, or even the Indian, knew the place, the wild 
animals of the forest came to "the lick" in the 
marsh below the spring, and obtained from its 
waters the salt necessary to their welfare. 

When the white man first came to the White Sul- 
phur he found the Indians watching for the buf- 
falo, the elk, and the deer, which sought this "lick" 
to slake their thirst on the waters that flow from 
the spring that to-day is the heart of the 
White Sulphur. The great buffalo trail used by 
these animals in their yearly migration to and 
from the Valley of Virginia, and the Ohio and 
Kanawha valleys, passed by the Spring and over 
the present golf course to the Greenbrier River. 
Even tradition makes the White Sulphur a health 

49 



£0 The White Sulphur Springs 

resort, — a place that removed ills and rejuvenated 
man. But it is more than traditional, — indeed, it 
is a fact that the Indians came here and used the 
waters for rheumatic troubles. They heated these 
waters with hot stones, and used them in this rude 
manner to effect the same purposes for which the 
appliances of civilization are now utilizing their 
precious properties. It was one of the Shawnees' 
great resting places, and the medicine man was 
here supreme. 

The beautiful legend of the origin of the White 
Sulphur Spring is exquisitely told by Mrs. Roger 
A. Pryor elsewhere in this book. 

After the Battle of Point Pleasant, in 1774, the 
Shawnees were driven west of the Ohio by the col- 
onists, but these savages did not easily give up this 
fair land, attempting by battle and fierce foray 
to hold it, and showing by many bloody encounters 
their love for the Greenbrier country, from which 
they were being forced by the oncoming of the 
white man. After fruitless struggles, the Shawnees 
finally sought protection on the banks of the Scioto, 
and gave up the region of their forefathers. 

The property on which the Spring was situated 
was originally patented to Nathan Carpenter by 
what was known as an occupancy, or corn, grant. 
Carpenter was afterward killed by a band of In- 
dians at the fort at the mouth of Dunlap's Creek, 
near where the town of Covington now stands. 



Title and History 51 

The Indians attempted to kill Carpenter's family, 
but his wife Kate, with her daughter Frances, 
escaped from the cabin at the Spring, and hid them- 
selves in the mountain, which since that time has 
been called "Kate's Mountain." There they re- 
mained until the Indians were driven away. This 
mountain rears its head thirty-five hundred feet 
above the sea, and will forever attest the heroism 
and hardihood of the early women of our country. 
The first white person to use the White Sulphur 
Springs as a medicine was Mrs. Anderson, the wife 
of one of the oldest settlers. She was borne on a 
litter from her residence to the Spring, where she 
lived under a tent, and a "bathing tub" was made 
from the trunk of a huge tree that grew hard by. 
The water was heated in the trough with hot rocks, 
and by the treatment she was cured of her rheuma- 
tism. The rumor of this cure spread among the 
settlers, and these hardy men and women, who, 
because of their lives spent in the wet and cold, 
were the prey of rheumatism, flocked to the Spring 
at certain seasons of the year, and by the use of its 
water, assisted by the rude appliances of those 
days, were cured of the diseases incident to their 
exposed lives. During the years from 1779 to 1784 
many tents were scattered around the Springs, in 
which the settlers lived while taking the cure. 
Then log cabins began to be built on the ground 
immediately surrounding the Spring, until, in 1786, 



52 The White Sulphur Springs 

there was quite a little settlement; and these cabins 
were the beginning of the splendid life that now 
characterizes the White. 

Michael Bowyer, of Augusta County, Va., in 
1795 married Frances Carpenter, the daughter 
of Nathaniel and Kate Carpenter. In 1784 he 
obtained a patent from the Commonwealth of Vir- 
ginia for the parcel of land containing nine hun- 
dred and fifty acres, — the property on which the 
Spring, the hotel, the golf links, and the town of 
White Sulphur, east to Howard's Creek, now 
stand. This title was confirmed to him "as hus- 
band of said Frances," in 1783, by a decree of the 
Court of Appeals of Virginia. Bowyer afterward 
got a patent for eight and three-fourths acres ad- 
joining the above tract. The White Sulphur 
property, as it now is, does not take up all the nine 
hundred and fifty acres so granted to Bowyer; for 
the Clifford Place, which contains about one hun- 
dred and twenty-five acres of land, and The Mea- 
dows, owned by Thornton Lewis and containing 
about one hundred and thirty-five acres, and all of 
the town of White Sulphur lying west of How- 
ard's Creek have been taken out of this nine hun- 
dred and fifty acres. This land passed by the will 
of Michael Bowyer, and by deeds made by his 
devisees, to the wife of James Caldwell, who was 
a daughter of old Michael Bowyer and the grand- 
daughter of Kate Carpenter. Mary Bowyer mar- 




te. 



Title and History 53 

ried James Caldwell in 1795. Caldwell was a 
sea merchant who had lived in the city of Balti- 
more, but who removed to the White Sulphur 
neighborhood in 1795. Caldwell having bought 
the Bowyer interest in the property in 1808, built 
the first hotel at the White Sulphur. This build- 
ing is known as the store building on the left as 
you go to the Spring. 

Among the interesting conveyances at this time 
was that of Thomas Bowyer, one of the sons of 
Michael Bowyer, who conveyed to Samuel Kin- 
caid, by deed dated May 23, 1809, all the land 
descended to him from his deceased father, Mich- 
ael Bowyer, "the said Thomas Bowyer being con- 
fined in jail for debt." The consideration was one 
dollar. 

In 1 816 James Caldwell became sole proprietor 
of this property, whereupon he began the develop- 
ment of the White Sulphur Springs. He was, 
therefore, the father of this great resort; and on 
the hill, just above the Spring, he built his home, 
the remains of which give proof of his taste. James 
Caldwell died in 1851. 

From 1 8 18 until 1853 the property, which had 
been increased to about six thousand acres, — hav- 
ing been enlarged by the purchase of a number of 
small parcels, some of which had been patented to 
Henry Banks, a famous old landowner and sur- 



54 The White Sulphur Springs 

veyor in the beginning of our history, — remained 
in the control of the Caldwells. 

A writer in 1837 thus describes the White Sul- 
phur: 

The buildings consist of a frame dining room about 
120 feet long; with which is connected a large kitchen 
and bakery; a frame ball room with lodging rooms 
over it and at each end; two very large frame stables 
with 80 stalls in each, of which the exterior rows are 
open to the air; and many rows of cabins tastefully 
arranged around the larger edifices, and standing on 
rising ground. The cabins are composed of various 
materials, brick, frame or logs, and the view of the 
tout-ensemble, is very pleasing. Most of the modern 
cabins are furnished with little piazzas, and shaded 
by forest trees, purposely rescued from the ruthless 
axe. There are several straight and dusty walks laid 
out with rectangular art; and many artless paths more 
agreeable to the foot and eye. . . . 

There are no bells, as Captain Hamilton says; and 
what do we want with bells, when we have good lungs? 
Neither are there any shovels and tongs — and why 
should there be? when a small stick of wood is so 
much better to poke a fire withal, than a cold heavy 
pair of tongs, which generally give your hand a pinch. 

If you are happy enough to be a bachelor, get into 
Alabama row; if your state is a happy duplicity, Para- 
dise Row is your befitting asylum — opposite to which 
is a pretty isolated cottage, resting under the refresh- 
ing shade of several ancient sons of the forest. Run- 




*fa'_.r- ■ 



Caldwell Cottage Grounds 



Facing page 55 



Title and History 55 

ning from the east end of Paradise Row at right 
angles, towards the south, is a row of beautiful white 
cabins, piazza-fronted, and looking towards the dome- 
covered spring. On the other side of the road are 
Compulsion Row and Wolf Row; the latter of which 
avoid, unless you be young and foolish — fond of noise 
and nonsense, frolic and fun, wine and wassail, sleep- 
less nights and days of headache; Mercury and Nim- 
rod have taken up their abode there, and Macbeth- 
like, nightly murder sleep. 



The majority of the buildings first erected by 
Mr. Caldwell were near the Springs. In 1837 
many improvements were made. Alabama Row 
was completed, and the west side of the parallelo- 
gram was finished. The dining-room was enlarged 
and the old ball-room was removed. The Masten 
House, built in 1835, was then the largest hotel 
and was kept by Daniel H. Stalnaker; its location 
being about the present site of the casino. The 
Second Virginia Row, which was built during 
Caldwell's time, about 1830, was built in part of 
logs and one of the cottages still standing to-day 
is a log house which has been weatherboarded. 
The cottages of Colonnade Row, — two of which 
were destroyed in order to build the Hawley Cot- 
tage, — were built in 1849. The old ball-room 
stood where is now the present music stand. It 
was taken down about 1858. The bricks for the 



56 The White Sulphur Springs 

old buildings were hauled over the mountain^ 
from Staunton. 

Before 1853 the James River and Kanawha 
Turnpike came up from Dry Creek, between the 
Hawley cottage and Baltimore Row. It was 
changed about 1854. The coming of the stage was 
announced by the blowing of a mellow horn, 
which brought all of the denizens of the Valley to 
the hotel, to see the incoming travelers and to ob- 
tain the mail. It took the stage six days to come 
from Fredericksburg to the White Sulphur. In 
1853, — by deed dated November 22 and recorded 
June 13, 1857, — the descendants of Frances Bow- 
yer and James Caldwell conveyed the property to 
William Hamilton McFarland, Trustee. This 
conveyance was for the purpose of beginning the 
wider and greater development of the property. 
At this time the South was tremendously pros- 
perous, and the Springs were then the great recrea- 
tion place of the whole of that section, and, to a 
large extent, of the whole country. 

On May 1 McFarland, as Trustee, with Wil- 
liam B. Caldwell, for the sum of ten thousand dol- 
lars, conveyed the property to Jeremiah Morton, 
Matthew F. Maury, Allan T. Caperton, R. H. 
Maury, Alexander K. Phillips, A. F. GifTord, 
James Hunter and J. Warren Slaughter. The pur- 
pose of this conveyance was to organize a joint 
stock company under the Act of March 1, 1854, of 










•toriu. 



( 



law, and he P 
tate, 

' ; O woman ! in oni 
Uncertain, coy, ai 
Ami variable as tl 
By the Egnf qniv< 

And the poet m 
ed, without spoi 

" Striving by every 
Willful as any pig 

But when besel 
J " S md ,la "I£S ^ownatHfflUz and sweetly she ne 



Title and History 57 

the Legislature of Virginia, entitled, "An Act to 
Incorporate the White Sulphur Springs Com- 
pany" ; and on the same day these gentlemen and 
their wives conveyed the property to the White 
Sulphur Springs Company. 

The main White Sulphur building, which in- 
cludes the large brick building with the parlor and 
the great dining-room, was commenced by the 
White Sulphur Springs Company in 1854 and 
finished in 1858. The great dining-room was then 
the largest room for the purpose in the United 
States, if not in the world. 

Around the White Sulphur Springs drifted 
backward and forward the fierce fortunes of the 
war. It was the debatable land between Virginia 
and the Ohio border, and was the scene of many 
wild forays, fierce battles, gallant advances and 
sad retreats. It was on the line of the entrance 
into the Valley of Virginia from the west, and the 
White Sulphur building and the cottages were 
used for different purposes by both the Confed- 
erate and Union forces. 

The great reception-room in the main building 
was used as headquarters by both sides. Generals 
McCausland, Floyd, Wise, Pegram, Colonel Pat- 
ton, General Heth, General Averell, and General 
Hunter, each in turn occupied it for that purpose. 
It was in the midst of the fierce battle of Dry 
Creek, which, as a matter of fact, should be named 



58 The White Sulphur Springs 

the Battle of White Sulphur. It was used, too, 
as a hospital; and the dead from the battle-field 
were brought to the old building, and its broad 
corridors held many still forms wrapped in the 
blue and the gray, while its quiet rooms echoed 
with the groans of the wounded. Before its doors, 
where all now is peace and quiet, was seen the 
glint of the musket and heard the rumble of ar- 
tillery, and in hot haste, in advance and retreat,- 
the old buildings witnessed the ebb and flow of 
the great conflict. It was part of the War. 

What Iliads of siege these walls could tell! 

What shattered lines a hundred times retrieved 

From lingering defeat — now by the swords, 

Now by the shields, of some sworn group of knights — 

To sweep at last to wreathed victory! 

What single combats while the host looked on! 

What hopes forlorn that failed so gloriously 

That History dropped her stylus to admire! 

The White Sulphur Springs were on the line of 
march of Gen. David Hunter, a recreant Virgin- 
ian, whose advance was marked by devastated plan- 
tations and destroyed homes. His was the war of 
the torch. The preservation of this great prop- 
erty from destruction was largely due to three per- 
sons, Senator Henry Dupont, the eminent states- 
man and philanthropist, of Delaware; Miss Emily 
Mason and Col. J. M. Schoonmaker, the last in 



Title and History 59 

command of the Fourteenth Penn. Cavalry, — a 
man whom, although a soldier in the Union ranks, 
all Virginia and all the South delight to honor. 

Senator Dupont, who was chief of artillery in 
Hunter's command, in his testimony before the 
United States Senate, gives an interesting account 
of his preservation of the property from the de- 
structive hand of David Hunter. He says: 

Upon our retreat from Lynchburg, June, 1864, 
across the mountains to the Kanawha Valley, one 
hundred miles away from any scene of military opera- 
tions, we arrived at the White Sulphur Springs. We 
had been pursued by the Confederates, but the enemy 
had ceased his pursuit, and we stopped there one day 
to rest, as we were very much exhausted. 

I heard that General Hunter had ordered the place 
to be burned down. The buildings comprised an im- 
mense hotel, with rows of cottages in every direction, 
and could accommodate several thousand people. Go- 
ing to headquarters about noon, after a few remarks 
I said to the General : "I hear you have ordered these 
buildings to be burned down?" He said: "Yes; 
they are all to be burned." Although I believed this 
to be a wanton and criminal destruction of private 
property, knowing the man as I did, I thought it was 
useless to appeal to him on any such grounds, so I 
said very quietly: "General, do you not think that it 
would be a military mistake?" He said: "What do 
you mean?" "I mean this!" I said: "If hereafter 
we have to occupy this country, this is quite a strategic 



60 The White Sulphur Springs 

point, as a good many roads converge here, and we 
would find quarters for a brigade of cavalry all ready, 
which would have many advantages for us." He 
looked at me a minute and said: "Well, I had not 
thought of that," and then called his adjutant-general, 
and told him to cancel the order. 



Miss Emily Mason was in charge of the prop- 
erty during a large part of the War. She was de- 
voted to it by tradition and duty, and by her care 
and affection the property was repeatedly saved 
from destruction. 

Col. James M. Schoonmaker exercised all his 
splendid qualities and went to the limit of soldier- 
ly duty in preserving this property, as well as 
much of the property of the Valley of Virginia, 
from the torch and flame. I know that the follow- 
ing tribute of the writer, the son of a Southern sol- 
dier, to this distinguished Union soldier, a trib- 
ute spoken on another occasion, — will not be 
thought out of place in a work on the White 
Sulphur: 

My eyes first saw the light in that fair land where 
the Valley kisses the mountains into gentleness and 
kindness, the great Valley of Virginia. In that sweet 
land since the country was young, have lived the sturdy 
people who are bone of my bone and blood of my 
blood. Exalted by the spirit of swelling valley and 
lofty mountain, here has dwelt patriotism unsurpassed, 



Title and History 6 1 

which held the State before the Nation as first in its 
love. Upon this favored land He who distilleth the 
dew and maketh the rains to fall from His exhaust- 
less urn of plenty has poured his rich blessing of 
fruitful soil, smiling seasons, and skies of azure. 
Touch the soil but gently and it laughs with the har- 
vest, and the bending grain of the golden autumn, lean- 
ing with fatness to the sickle, is the sure reward of 
the labor of the husbandman amidst the dew of the 
sunlit spring. When in the great strife between us the 
cotton land would give no nurture from its shrunken 
bosom, when the coast was beleaguered with lines of 
fire, the famishing troops in tattered gray turned for 
life to the fields of the Valley, the granary of the south. 
In the exigencies of the war when there was given the 
dread order to sear that land with fire and sword, 
the vanguard of the hosts in blue was led by our host, 
who but lately sat at my humble board, an honored 
guest, amidst those who wore the gray. 

Heeding not to-night the usual amenities of social 
life, I, the guest, do the first obeisance to the host; 
for, through the terrors of that campaign, when my 
country was naked in her desolation, his sword was 
never soiled with cruelty or dishonor, and despite the 
orders and policy of war, his heart was resolutely 
turned from destruction. Therefore, I, a son of a 
Southern soldier who fought amidst the horrors of 
internecine war, honor him who always bowed his 
head to the plea for mercy. On the morning after he 
had visited my home beside the waters of the great 
Kanawha, I met the man of God who had blessed 



62 The White Sulphur Springs 

our births and buried our dead and who had walked 
upright among us for these many years, and he told 
me that, hearing that his town of Lewisburg was to 
be burned, he had been appointed to intercede and 
save the beautiful village from the flames; that going 
out to meet the Union Army, then approaching, he 
met the vanguard in charge of an officer, a man in 
the first glory of a splendid manhood. They recog- 
nized each other, — one, the man of God, the other, 
the man of the sword, — as springing from the same 
people in Pennsylvania. The minister said, "Colonel, 
I understand that your orders are to burn our town 
to-day, and I am here to ask that it be not given to 
the fire." Hesitating for a moment, the soldier spoke, 
"It is not for me, a soldier, to tell the orders, but you 
and I came from a people who do not make war with 
fire, and I will save the town if it be possible." 

Gentlemen, Lewisburg was not burned; and to-night 
the Southern winds are touching gently its vines and 
mosses, and sighing through the old trees and vener- 
able homes of the beautiful town nestling peacefully 
amidst its encircling bounds. And that soldier bears 
the name of him who sits to-night at the head of this 
hospitable table. Shall I not to-night render him the 
first obeisance? 

In my native town of Lexington, in the heart of 
the Valley, arise the proud battlements of an old 
school, the Virginia Military Institute, the West 
Point of the South. It was glorified by the immortal 
teachings of Matthew Fontaine Maury, and its cor- 
ridors long echoed to the thunderous tread of Stone- 



Title and History 63 

wall Jackson. From its broad portals stalked the 
drillmasters of the Southern army. To him at whose 
board we sit to-night was given the command to 
crumble its walls with torch and flame. He refused 
to execute the order and was put under arrest, because 
his hand was not created for the torch, nor was his 
heart attuned to the roar of the flames. Should he 
not to-night, here amidst his own people of the north, 
receive honor from a son of old Rockbridge? 

When in the Valley Campaign he was ordered to 
burn the historic residence of Charles James Faulk- 
ner, a distinguished son of old Virginia, then engaged 
on the side of the South, with saber clanking at his 
heels, and mailed glove on his hands, in his errand 
of mercy he delved into the musty records of the 
clerk's office and ascertained that the title deeds were 
not in the husband's name but in the name of the wife; 
and pressing his report to the superior authorities, 
through his influence, Boydville, unharmed and un- 
touched, lives amidst its greensward and mighty trees, 
a monument to our host of this evening. And down 
in the Valley of Virginia, beside the waters of the 
Shenandoah and the James, as the eve and the morn 
of day falls upon the land the shadow of stately 
porticos and lofty gable, caressed by the vines and 
lichens and the mosses of years, a sweet and perennial 
benediction falls upon him who turned his hand from 
the torch and listened not to the messages of flame. 

And, sirs, I pray, — and I voice the feelings of the 
South, — that when the good angel who holds the book 
of nations would turn to those orders of fire and 



64 The White Sulphur Springs 

flame, he would allow a tear of forgiveness to blot 
them forever from the record. The passing years 
have winnowed the blight and the sorrow from our 
Southern land where the sword rang on steel; the 
birds amidst the flower-embowered land are voicing 
their songs of praise, and the fat herds wander 
through the rich meadows in full contentment and 
peace, and over the fields of sorrow the soft Southern 
sun has woven a carpet of green, and touched with 
the glory of spring the yellow wheat, the drooping 
cotton boll, and the waving fields of corn; and through 
the encarmined fields of the Valley and the Piedmont, 
weaving together forever and ever in the loom of 
peace the blue and the gray, binding lake and sea, 
driven by the masterful energies of my friend Stevens, 
here with us to-night, rush the iron wheels of prog- 
ress. Yea, sirs, from the chaos of those sad days, 
we are erecting a majestic civilization, crowned with 
an exalted citizenship, holding with its strong hands 
lake and sea and river, North and South, and East 
and West, in the bonds of patriotism, indivisible in 
its love, and matchless in its strength and power. 
With the benison of my native land touching our host 
to-night and swelling our heart toward him with kind- 
ness and love, my soul turns instinctively to the love 
of woman as the only expression of the emotions too 
holy for my poor utterance. 

Do you remember the old sweet story of the Per- 
sian King and the great Cyrus? When Cyrus had 
captured the beautiful wife of Arbaces, the King, 



Title and History 65 

throwing aside all precautions of safety, hurried into 
the presence of the great warrior, and humbling him- 
self before him, exclaimed, "O Cyrus, give me back 
my wife." "What wouldst thou give for her, Ar- 
baces?" said Cyrus. "O King, I will give my life 
for her," said Arbaces. When she had been restored 
in safety to her husband, and they were alone in their 
palace, Arbaces asked his wife, "What thought thou 
of the great Cyrus?" Winding her arms around him, 
she said, "O King, I saw him not. I only looked on 
the face of the man who said he would give his life 
for me." 

And here to-night, this splendid assembly, appre- 
ciating my feelings, as can only the lofty American 
citizen, will allow me to do honor alone to the man 
who spared my native land in the day of her travail. 
As a son of old Virginia, God bless her! whose 
bosom bears scars and wounds of cruel war, but whose 
soul is pure and holy, I propose his health. As a son 
of the great Valley where every mountain-top is a 
shrine of memories, holy and sweet, and where in 
every vale rest our spectered dead, wrapped in their 
cerements of gray, I rise to honor him. 

As a son of Lexington and Rockbridge, where sleep 
peacefully under the shade of the great mountains 
the mighty spirits of Stonewall Jackson and Robert 
Lee, I make my obeisance to the man who never broke 
a Southern heart, nor added the hopeless wandering 
of a flame to the widowhood and orphanage of the 
battle. 



66 The White Sulphur Springs 

The White Sulphur property continued in the 
possession of the White Sulphur Springs Com- 
pany, under many leases, until March 17, 1882, 
when it was conveyed by Adam C. Snyder, Spe- 
cial Commissioner, to William A. Stuart for three 
hundred and forty thousand dollars. The frame 
building where the offices now are was built in 
1884. Before that time the offices were in the 
basement of the brick building where was the fa- 
mous old barroom, which was approached by a 
spiral staircase. Here in this dark, cool room, 
scented with great masses of fragrant mint that 
lay upon mountains of crushed ice, in the olden 
days were created the White Sulphur mint julep 
and the Virginia toddy, for which this place was 
famous the world over. The mint juleps were 
not the composite compounds of the present day. 
They were made of the purest French brandy, 
limestone water, old-fashioned cut loaf sugar, 
crushed ice, and young mint the foliage of which 
touched your ears and, when taken from the 
hands of the old colored servitors, were as de- 
licious as nectar created for Vulcan, Juno, or 
Jupiter on the sides of Mount Olympus or in the 
wooded Vale of Tempe. Here, in this old room, 
was uttered that famous remark of the Governor 
of North Carolina to the Governor of South Caro- 
lina. "It is a long time between drinks." 

On March 17, 1882, William A. Stuart and his 



Title and History 67 

wife conveyed the property to the Greenbrier 
White Sulphur Springs Company, in whose pos- 
session and control it remained until October 23, 
1890, when Alexander F. Mathews, Special Com- 
missioner in the cause pending in the District 
Court of the United States for West Virginia, re- 
conveyed the property to William A. Stuart. On 
October 15, 1889, William A. Stuart and his wife 
conveyed the property to Julian T. Burke and 
John T. Stuart, Trustees, when it practically went 
into the hands of the Dulaney family of Baltimore. 
It was afterward directly conveyed by the Trus-' 
tees to Julian T. Burke, Trustee, and by Burke 
held, until conveyed to the present Company. It 
was purchased on the first day of February, 1910, 
by the White Sulphur Springs, Incorporated, 
which placed it in the control of the Chesapeake 
& Ohio Railway Company. 

More than two millions of dollars have been 
poured out by this Company into this beautiful 
valley in the successful effort to make the White 
Sulphur again one of the great institutions of 
America. How well the effort has succeeded may 
be easily ascertained by a look about you. The 
magnificent Greenbrier Hotel, a rare and beau- 
tiful architectural gem of the Georgian Period, 
has been completed. It is filled with every con- 
venience and luxury of modern civilization. A 
hundred years' experience of these wonderful 



68 The White Sulphur Springs 

waters in the cure of the ills of mankind has been 
supplemented by the most careful investigation 
and modern research into their curative proper- 
ties, and the most luxurious and splendid bathing 
establishment on American soil has been cre- 
ated. A wonderful golf course has been laid out, 
upon which thousands of dollars have been spent 
to make it the equal of any links in the world. 
New buildings have been erected, and the Old 
White Sulphur Hotel, with the sweet aroma of 
other days clinging around it, has been thoroughly 
rejuvenated, while over this great property has 
been showered everything that wealth can sug- 
gest, or good taste demand, to make the Old White 
grander, more beautiful, more universal in its ap- 
peal to the people of our great country, than it 
ever was before. True, it is no longer the Valhalla 
of the old South; it now opens its wide portals to 
welcome and delight the people of every section 
of our blessed country, — North, South, East and 
West. 




ft, 



IV 



CLIMATE, WATERS, BATHS AND OTHER CURATIVE 
RESOURCES OF THE WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS 

MINERAL water health resorts in their 
highest sense are true schools of hy- 
giene, — mental and physical, — and 
their sphere of usefulness lies as much 
in the prevention of disease as in its cure. How- 
ever valuable mineral waters may be as medicinal 
agents, they are not applicable to all diseases, nor 
are the best results to be expected unless they be 
prescribed with a due regard to the condition pres- 
ent in the individual case. This applies, also, to 
the use of baths, the regulation of the diet, exer- 
cise, and all other procedure incident to a "cure." 
Physicians in referring patients to resorts of this 
kind should therefore be acquainted with the prop- 
erties of the waters, the nature of the climate, 
the character of equipment, and the general facili- 
ties for treatment, as well as the conditions under 
which that treatment is used. The object of this 
chapter is to acquaint the medical profession with 
the conditions at White Sulphur Springs, and to 

69 



JO The White Sulphur Springs 

indicate in a general way how the treatment is 
used. No attempt is made to discuss details. 

The opinions expressed regarding the therapeu- 
tic efficacy of the various measures here referred to 
are based upon an experience of many years de- 
voted to the special investigation of these subjects, 
and are, I think, in accord with the conclusions 
reached by others whose interests have been along 
similar lines. 

The developments in physiological chemistry, 
and the almost universal tendency of the profes- 
sion of the present day to substitute natural for 
artificial remedies in treatment, as well as the stead- 
ily growing popularity of resorts of this character 
among an intelligent and discriminating public, 
would seem to add further confirmation to the 
correctness of these views. 

The following extract from an editorial in the 
Journal of the American Medical Association, 
February 13, 1915, probably expresses the opin- 
ion of most physicians on the subject: 

The drinking of mineral waters, particularly as it 
is practiced by thousands of patients who are sent 
for curative purposes to the numerous mineral spring 
resorts in all parts of the world, is an established 
therapeutic custom. The multitudes of persons who 
indulge in the water drinking at the spas, as well as 
the large number of physicians who repeatedly advise 



Climate, Waters and Baths Jl 

the treatment as an established routine, make it seem 
more than probable that the practice is a well-founded 
one. 

White Sulphur Springs has, I believe, natural 
resources and an equipment which will compare 
favorably with the best known Continental Spas. 
If these facilities are utilized to the best advan- 
tage, the results of treatment should in every sense 
be as good, and if its methods, scientific and ethi- 
cal, are maintained at the highest standard, it 
should enjoy an equally high reputation. 

White Sulphur Springs is perhaps the oldest 
and one of the best known of American Mineral 
Water resorts. Apart from the usual traditions 
associated with Indian legends and those of the 
earliest settlers, there are authentic records of per- 
sons actually treated here as early as 1778. For a 
century or more following this it was the popular 
health resort of the country, and people came, 
first by coach and later by rail, from all portions 
of the East, South and Middle West to drink the 
waters, to seek the benefit of its wonderful climate, 
and participate in its social life. 

While the most important means for treating 
disease at White Sulphur Springs are unquestion- 
ably the climate and the waters, these are not the 
only resources. Among the accessory measures 
are baths, massage, diet, exercise, etc., which will 



72 The White Sulphur Springs 

be referred to more in detail under separate head- 
ings. Very little medicine is prescribed, and when 
employed at all it is used only to meet certain spe- 
cific indications or for the relief of urgent symp- 
toms. 

No attempt is made to treat surgical cases, other 
than emergencies arising from accidental causes or 
the employment of exercise, massage, etc., in the 
relief of local manifestations of arthritic condi- 
tions. 

Special rooms are provided in the bath build- 
ing for the care of those who are ill and in need 
of nursing or special medical attention, thus af- 
fording the facilities of a sanatorium without the 
depressing influences which are sometimes asso- 
ciated with life in such institutions. 

One of the most important features of White 
Sulphur Springs as a health resort is its climate. 
Mineral water springs, as a rule, emerge from 
low levels and often from narrow valleys, where 
the atmosphere is more or less depressing. This 
influence is probably as often responsible for the 
enervating effects observed from treatment as is 
the use of drastic waters and baths. White Sul- 
phur Springs, being situated at an altitude of 2,000 
feet, has a very bracing climate, which is never 
debilitating, even in mid-summer. There is no 
need here for an "after cure," such as is usually 
advised in health resorts in Europe. One can take 




u, 



Climate, Waters and Baths 73 

his last glass of water at the resort in the evening 
and be at his office the next day fully equal to any 
demands his occupation may put upon him. 

The valley in which the Springs are located is 
surrounded by mountain peaks, with magnificent 
forests of oak, pine and spruce. 

There is nearly always a cool breeze in summer, 
even on the warmest days, and the nights are cool 
enough to sleep under one or more blankets. High 
winds are very rare at any season and in winter 
protection is afforded by the surrounding moun- 
tains, which shelter it from the north. The con- 
ditions in the spring and autumn are quite ideal. 
The summer has for many years been a popular 
social season with visitors from the South. 

In all seasons one feels the benefit of the clear, 
balmy, pine-laden air before the waters and baths 
have had time to take effect, and many come for 
the climate alone. The appetite is stimulated and 
respiration deepened, influences which favor a 
better combustion and increased elimination, thus 
adding to the more lasting effect of the waters. 
The temperature is modified both by the altitude 
and latitude, with resulting cool summers and mild 
winters, as shown by the following table of aver- 
age temperatures (Fahrenheit) during the differ- 
ent months of 1914: January, 34 11 / 3 idegrees; Feb- 
ruary, 33 4 / 7 ; March, 39^/31; April, 5i 2 / 3 ; May, 62; 
June, 62V2; July, 65; August, 68 ; September, 



74 The White Sulphur Springs 

58730; October, 55 2 %i; November, 41V30; December 

There are at White Sulphur several springs, the 
waters of which show considerable variation, both 
in their analysis and physiological effects. 

The best known of these springs, and the one 
that first established White Sulphur as a mineral 
water resort, is the old White Sulphur Spring, one 
of the most valuable waters of its kind. The water 
of this spring is classified scientifically as sulpho- 
alkaline, having as its principal constituents the 
sulphates and bicarbonates of magnesia, soda and 
lime, with free carbonic acid and traces of sul- 
phuretted hydrogen. The water issues from the 
side of the mountain, is perfectly clear, of an agree- 
able taste, and has a temperature of about 60 de- 
grees Fahrenheit. 

Adjacent to the White Sulphur is another sul- 
phur spring of similar constitution, although not 
quite so strong. 

The waters of both these springs are heated in 
such a manner as to retain all their natural prop- 
erties, and may be obtained at any desired tem- 
perature. They are mildly laxative, diuretic and 
alterative in effect and are used in the treatment of 
diseases of the stomach, liver, intestines, kidneys 
and nutritional disorders. 

The Radio-Chalybeate Spring is quite strongly 
radio-active, besides containing iron in a readily 




fc, 



Climate, Waters and Baths J$ 

assimilable form. These waters are especially 
beneficial in the treatment of anaemia, certain 
nervous conditions and rheumatism. 

The Alum Spring, whose waters differ con- 
siderably from those of the other springs, has a 
field of usefulness in conditions in which an astrin- 
gent or sedative influence is sought. 

Recent investigations in the treatment of dis- 
ease by radium have shown that the effects of cer- 
tain mineral waters upon the human organism are 
due in large measure to the presence of radium 
emanations in the waters. While this is not a 
common property of all mineral waters, it has been 
found in many of the important springs abroad, 
particularly those which experience has shown to 
be especially efficacious in diseases of digestion and 
nutrition. The White Sulphur Springs waters are 
all radio-active in some degree, the Radio-Chalyb- 
eate Spring being superior in this respect to many 
of the best known European Springs. Radium 
treatment is administered in all of its forms, which 
include the drinking water cure, special radium 
baths, radium emanations by inhalation, local ap- 
plications, and hypodermic injections. 

No mistake is more common than that of assum- 
ing that there must be some general rule for using 
the water; there is none. 

In most cases the sulphur waters are adminis- 
tered on an empty stomach in divided portions 



j6 The White Sulphur Springs 

throughout the day, the quantity varying from 
three to eight glasses, taken both hot and at the 
natural temperature. The waters from the Radio- 
Chalybeate and Alum Springs are usually taken 
during the period of digestion. These rules, how- 
ever, are subject to many exceptions according to 
the circumstances of the case. 

The new bath establishment is the most com- 
plete and luxurious in its appointment of any in- 
stitution of its kind in America, and, in variety 
and character of equipment, is not excelled any- 
where. The bath building is a three-story fire- 
proof structure, of modified Georgian architec- 
ture, located to the north of The Greenbrier and 
to the east of The White, being connected with 
both by enclosed loggias. The ground floor con- 
tains the swimming pool, with wide balconies on 
each side and dressing rooms at the end. The 
two upper floors are devoted to the bath proper 
and are connected with the pool floor by elevators 
and staircases. 

The second floor is the Men's Department, and 
besides a large reception and lounging room con- 
tains the various treatment rooms, with individual 
resting rooms connected with each. The physi- 
cians' offices and laboratories, together with the 
Zander Room, Inhalation Room and Radium 
Room are also located on this floor. The arrange- 
ment of the baths in the Women's Department on 



Climate, Waters and Baths 77 

the third floor is the same, the remaining space 
being devoted to sleeping rooms for patients re- 
quiring special medical attention and rooms for 
nurses. 

The equipment provides for all approved forms- 
of hydrotherapy, including such special baths as 
are given at Nauheim, Aix les Bains, Vichy, Carls- 
bad, Baden-Baden and other European resorts. 

Sulphur Water Baths are the special feature 
and are used in a great variety of conditions. Be- 
sides being very agreeable they exercise a specific 
influence upon the skin and circulation, due to the 
presence of the salts and gases. 

Mud Bath. — An excellent quality of mud is 
obtained from the bed of Sulphur Springs in the 
immediate vicinity. After being dried and sifted, 
it is mixed with the sulphur water to the desired 
consistency; the temperature being regulated by 
the introduction of live steam. These baths have 
a special indication in the treatment of painful 
inflammatory conditions, such as gout, rheumatism 
and neuritis, mud applications being often used 
locally in the form of poultices. 

The Aix Douche is often employed in similar 
conditions. It consists of a douche of large vol- 
ume under low pressure, conjoined with massage, 
and has the advantage of permitting local appli- 
cations of relatively high temperatures without 



7% The White Sulphur Springs 

the debilitating influence of an immersion of the 
entire body. 

The Vichy Bath is a massage under a spray of 
water, usually at moderate temperature, and is 
used largely for nervous conditions. 

The Continuous Flow Bath is employed in simi- 
lar conditions and often has a marked effect in the 
relief of insomnia. 

The Nauheim Bath finds its special indication 
in the treatment of diseases of the heart and in ar- 
teriosclerosis. It relieves nervous tension and will 
reduce blood pressure. It is usually given at 
temperatures ranging from 88 to 96. There is a 
specially devised tank for the introduction of exact 
quantities of carbonic acid gas. 

Electric Light, dry hot air and steam cabinets, 
sometimes in conjunction with packs, are largely 
employed in reduction cures, and a bath consisting 
of a short stay in an electric cabinet, or in the sul- 
phur water, followed by a Scotch Douche and mas- 
sage, has a most excellent tonic effect even in very 
debilitated subjects. 

In addition to these, there are Turkish and Rus- 
sian Baths, vapor rooms, full electric, Schnee four- 
cell baths, and the most modern type of control 
tables for the administration of the various forms 
of douches and cold water treatments. There is 
also a special room for the internal administration 




-. 



Climate, Waters and Baths 79 

of the waters by means of irrigation, another for 
local hot air treatments and massage rooms. 

Hydrotherapy has for its guiding principles 
questions of temperature, duration, and reaction. 
Apart from variations in effect due to these influ- 
ences, there are important differences, also, be- 
tween the effects of mineral water baths and those 
in plain water, this difference being due not only 
to the presence of salts, but to the action of car- 
bonic acid, radium emanations and other gases. 

Similar results may often be obtained from 
measures differing considerably in their technique, 
yet embodying like principles. 

With the exception of a few simple forms of 
baths of ordinary temperature and short duration, 
all baths are given on a physician's prescription. 
The same rule applies to the administration of 
massage, packs, douches, and accessory treatments. 
The Bath is under the direct supervision of the 
physicians in charge. The superintendents, as 
well as attendants, are graduates of institutions of 
the highest type of this kind of training, and the 
most careful attention is observed in carrying out 
the details of each treatment prescribed. 

A complete mechanico-therapeutic institute 
with twenty-eight types of the well-known Zander 
apparatus is part of the equipment of the Bath 
Building. Not only do these appliances make up 
for a lack of inclination for exercise in some cases, 



80 The White Sulphur Springs 

but in certain others are of particular value in that 
the amount of muscular work done can be accu- 
rately gauged. Such exercises can be made wholly 
passive, or active, or a combination of the two, 
as desired. They are used largely in the treatment 
of constipation and obesity, as well as in articular 
conditions. 

The appliances for administering the different 
forms of electric treatments do not differ from 
those found in well equipped hospitals and sana- 
toriums generally. 

The Faradic, galvanic and sinusoidal currents 
are used in the form of the full baths or Schnee 
four-cell bath, and the same types of apparatus 
are included in the installation of the Electric 
Laboratory. In addition to these there are ap- 
pliances for giving high frequency, static, auto- 
condensation and thermo-penetration currents. 

Treatment by thermo-penetration is of special 
value in the relief of pain, particularly that asso- 
ciated with neuritis and inflamed joints. 

Massage, when scientifically administered, is 
a most useful and sometimes an indispensable 
remedy. Very often it is combined with various 
forms of baths. There are in the employ of the 
Bath Department a number of skilled operators — 
really expert masseurs and masseuses — whose train- 
ing is based upon a knowledge of anatomical and 
physiological principles, as well as manipulative 



Climate, Waters and Baths 8 1 

technique. Too often such treatments are intrusted 
to ignorant persons who are without the slightest 
conception of the principles involved. 

When intelligently employed it improves the 
circulation, stimulates secretion, and facilitates the 
removal of waste material. It is of particular 
value also in the treatment of constipation and in 
certain articular affections, as also in relieving 
nervous tension, pain, and insomnia. 

The indications for local applications of heat 
are numerous and, in combination with baths and 
massage, such measures often constitute an im- 
portant part of the treatment, especially in the re- 
lief of painful conditions of the nerves, joints and 
muscles. The equipment includes a great variety 
of hot air appliances (Tyrnauer apparatus) of dif- 
ferent sizes and shapes for use in various regions 
of the body, and very high temperatures may be 
thus employed. Hot mud poultices and fomenta- 
tions are also used for similar purposes. 

A beautifully appointed room in the front part 
of the Bath Building contains the latest form of 
apparatus for radium emanation, and for artifi- 
cially charging waters for drinking purposes. 
Radium treatment is often attended with very 
good results in arthritic conditions, particularly 
gout and rheumatoid arthritis. 

This room contains different forms of apparatus 
for the inhalation of the volatile properties of the 



82 The White Sulphr.r Springs 

water, as well as various medicinal agents; such 
treatments being used in catarrhal affections of 
the nose, throat and lungs, and in certain types of 
asthma. 

One of the most important features of the 
"Cure" is the regulation of the diet. This is not so 
much a question, as is popularly believed, of an 
incompatibility of food substances with mineral 
waters as it is the condition for which treatment is 
undertaken. In persons whose digestion and nu- 
trition are normal no special restriction is neces- 
sary, but it is a disturbance of such functions that 
constitutes some of the chief indications for treat- 
ment. In such it becomes of primary importance, 
both in the relief of the existing condition and in 
the prevention of its recurrence. Experience has 
amply demonstrated that proper dietetic regula- 
tion is difficult, if not impossible, in an American 
Plan hotel; hence, the great advantage of an a la 
carte service, such as is provided at The Green- 
brier. There is in addition a special diet kitchen 
from which may be obtained a great variety of 
foods suitable to almost every disease, so that 
patrons will experience no difficulty in carrying 
out every detail of the treatment, even to the extent 
of quantitative feedings based upon exact caloric 
values. In addition to the regular menu, which is 
prepared to meet the desires of cosmopolitan visi- 
tors of luxurious habits, there is a special diet 



Climate, Waters and Baths 83 

menu and table d'hote luncheons and dinners are 
served from both. This provides meals at a fixed 
price for those who prefer it, and also affords op- 
portunity for those on special diet to have their 
meals regularly prepared for them without the 
necessity of ordering each time. Guests under 
treatment are also furnished with detailed lists for 
their guidance, should they prefer ordering for 
themselves. 

There are few institutions of this kind even in 
Europe where the arrangements for the diet are as 
complete and as simple in their practical operation 
as at White Sulphur Springs, and the cuisine and 
service are in every sense equal to the highest stand- 
ards in the best metropolitan restaurants. 

In general it may be said that the White Sul- 
phur Springs waters find their chief indications in 
conditions associated with impairment of diges- 
tion, disturbed metabolism, or insufficient elimina- 
tion. Many of these are due to faulty habits of 
life, and are generally wholly remediable by natu- 
ral and physiological measures. The following 
may be mentioned as among the conditions in 
which the best results are obtained. 

Gout. — There is perhaps no condition affording 
a more distinct indication for the use of mineral 
waters and hydrotherapy than goutiness, which, 
according to its modern conception, is a condition 
associated with an accumulation of toxines and 



84 The White Sulphur Springs 

other waste products of digestion, which are 
largely the result of a failure of hepatic and intes- 
tinal functions. The sulphur waters exercise a 
specific influence in transforming the monosodium 
urates into their more soluble forms, thus facili- 
tating their elimination. 

Sciatica and Neuritis very frequently have 
their origin in similar causes; hence the treatment 
of these conditions is usually attended with equally 
beneficial results. 

Rheumatism, except in its acute articular form, 
is another condition in which there is special indi- 
cation for White Sulphur treatment. Very often, 
however, this term is erroneously applied to a 
group of symptoms which properly belong to one 
of the preceding classifications. 

Arthritis Deformans, or Rheumatoid Arthritis. 
— Considering the intractability of this condition 
to treatment in general, the results are usually very 
satisfactory, and in some cases quite remarkable. 
One reason that the White Sulphur Springs 
waters act so favorably is that they are not de- 
bilitating. 

Diabetes. — Mineral waters of the type of those 
at White Sulphur Springs often exercise a marked 
influence in increasing the tolerance for sugar- 
forming foods. It is not an uncommon experience 
to find the disappearance of sugar after a short 
course of the water, even without special dietetic 




fc£r« 



ft, 



Climate, Waters and Baths 85 

restriction. The alkaline salts of the water are of 
great value, also, in counteracting tendencies to 
acidosis. 

Obesity. — Increasing importance is attached to 
the fact that an excess of fat is inimical to health, 
and apart from considerations of an aesthetic na- 
ture, a reduction in weight is often attended with 
a most beneficial effect upon other symptoms. The 
treatment consists in the regulation of the diet and 
exercise, in conjunction with the baths and mineral 
waters. 

Under-Nutrition. — Under-nutrition is frequent- 
ly due to an impairment of the digestive and elimi- 
native functions, hence is relieved by a correc- 
tion of its underlying causes. 

Diseases of the Stomach. — The Sulphur waters 
act both to increase the gastric secretion and 
to neutralize an excess of hydrochloric acid ac- 
cording as they are used, important considerations 
being temperature and time in relation to the 
period of digestion. Very excellent results are 
seen both in gastritis and in the gastric neuroses, 
particularly those associated with hyperacidity. 

Diseases of the Intestines.— Constipation is 
the most frequent. White Sulphur waters are 
mildly laxative, increasing secretion and peristal- 
sis. They are not purgative, and there is rarely a 
necessity for increasing the original dose. There 
is perhaps no condition in which more gratifying 



86 The White Sulphur Springs 

results are obtained than in colitis, in which the 
waters are sometimes employed, also, in the form 
of colonic irrigations. 

Diseases of the Liver and Gall Bladder. — 
One of the earliest and most pronounced effects of 
the waters is a stimulation of the biliary secretion. 
While it is not claimed, as is sometimes done, that 
the water will dissolve gall stones in situ, there can 
be no doubt that they accomplish much in the 
relief of catarrhal conditions predisposing to their 
formation. Biliousness, the result of hepatic con- 
gestion, is usually very promptly relieved. 

Diseases of the Kidneys. — The Sulphur waters 
are distinctly diuretic, hence act most favor- 
ably in the relief of many cases of incipient nephri- 
tis and albuminuria. Equally good results are also 
obtained in renal calculi, cystitis and other inflam- 
matory conditions of the urinary tract. 

Nervous Diseases. — White Sulphur Springs af- 
fords a very favorable environment for the treat- 
ment of functional diseases of the nervous system, 
such as neurasthenia, hysteria, etc., and the results, 
generally speaking, are very satisfactory, particu- 
larly in the quieter seasons. 

Diseases of the Heart and Blood Vessels. — 
Aside from the action of the water in relieving 
toxic influences, the effects of Nauheim Baths and 
graduated exercises are most salutary and often 



Climate, Waters and Baths 87 

result in the restoration of a normal function when 
other treatment has failed. 

Diseases of the Blood.— Secondary anaemia 
from whatever cause, especially when due to faulty 
digestion, toxemia, or the infections, is almost in- 
variably relieved, the chief reliance in treatment 
being the climate, diet, and the waters of the 
Radio-Chalybeate Spring. 

Diseases of the Skin, such as eczema, psoria- 
sis, acne, urticaria, etc., often have as their chief 
indication for treatment a correction of some un- 
derlying digestive or nutritional disturbance. Sul- 
phur waters both internally and in the form of 
baths have for many years occupied an important 
place in the treatment of these conditions. 

Convalescents and Post-Operative Cases. — 
White Sulphur Springs treatment finds a special 
place in the treatment of convalescence from acute 
infections and from surgical operations, the stimu- 
lating influence of the climate, together with the 
effect of tonic baths, often contributing much to a 
rapid restoration to health. 

While favorable results are generally to be ex- 
pected in the conditions above mentioned, there 
are, of course, exceptions to this rule. These for 
the most part are cases complicated by structural 
changes in the organs involved. 

Organic diseases of a severe type, such as ad- 
vanced cardio-vascular, renal and hepatic condi- 



88 The White Sulphur Springs 

tions associated with marked oedema, are not likely 
to be greatly benefited by a treatment of this kind, 
nor is benefit to be expected in most acute condi- 
tions. Tubercular and contagious diseases are not 
accepted. 

The duration of treatment will, of course, vary 
with the nature, severity, and duration of the con- 
dition present. In the majority of cases, it should 
cover a period of from two to four weeks, although 
good results may often be obtained in a shorter 
time. No medical superstition is more difficult to 
eradicate than that a supposed magic number of 
days is required for the cure, usually 21. People 
who have only slight gouty or rheumatic manifes- 
tations, those with mild forms of indigestion, who 
lead a reasonable life, will get good results in from 
14 to 18 days. Severe cases respond more slowly. 
Cases of neurasthenia and neuritis may require a 
month, and sometimes longer, as these must be 
dealt with leniently. The same applies to condi- 
tions of the heart and high arterial tension, the 
exact duration of treatment in each case being de- 
termined by varying circumstances in the indi- 
vidual. 

The physicians connected with this department 
are all graduates of medical institutions of high 
standing, are members of well-known medical so- 
cieties, and have had special training in the dis- 
eases in which balneotherapy and hydrotherapy 



Climate, Waters and Baths 89 

find their particular indications. There is a fully- 
equipped clinical and research laboratory, as well 
as an electric laboratory. Graduate nurses are in 
constant attendance. 

Physicians referring patients to this resort are 
invariably furnished with full details of treatment 
prescribed and every effort is made to keep them 
advised as to the progress of their patients. 

Special attention has been given to providing 
opportunities for various forms of exercise. The 
Company's property includes an area of 7,000 
acres, and well-made and well-kept walks wind in 
every direction. Along these are distributed com- 
fortable seats for resting, from which can be ob- 
tained picturesque views of an infinite variety. 
There are also good roads for motoring and nu- 
merous bridle-paths, which follow along the 
streams, through the valleys and over the crests of 
the mountains, a constant delight to those who ride. 
A modern garage and well-equipped livery stable 
are connected with the hotels. 

There are within a few hundred yards of the 
hotel two excellent golf courses — one of 18 holes, 
recently opened, which embodies the most ad- 
vanced ideas of golf construction. Like the Na- 
tional Course, each green has been patterned after 
those of famous courses in France, England and 
Scotland. There are no two holes alike, which 
gives the greatest possible variety of play, thus 



90 The White Sulphur Springs 

making a strong appeal to the enthusiastic golfer. 
The 9-hole course is of a simpler type, yet most 
picturesque and interesting. It is designed par- 
ticularly for ladies and beginners. 

There are four excellent tennis courts. 

Both the tennis courts and golf courses are in 
charge of competent instructors. 

Excellent music is provided by an orchestra of 
first-class musicians. There are two beautiful ball 
rooms, one in each hotel, and dancing is a daily 
pastime both at night and at tea time, except Sun- 
day, when a classical programme is rendered in the 
lobby by the orchestra. 

During the summer season outdoor concerts are 
given near the Springs, as is the custom abroad. 
Special concerts and other entertainments occur at 
frequent intervals. 

There is a good bowling alley and a well- 
appointed billiard room. 

A United States Government Fish Hatchery 
is located at White Sulphur Springs, and the 
neighboring streams, as well as the lake on the golf 
course, are well stocked with trout and bass. 

The New Greenbrier is a thoroughly modern, 
fireproof hotel. The style of the architecture is 
Georgian, in keeping with the surroundings and 
traditions of the place. It is, perhaps, not too 
much to say that there is not to be found anywhere 
a resort hotel which is more complete or more ar- 



Climate, Waters and Baths 91 

tistic in its appointments. It is operated entirely 
on the European Plan. Meals are a la carte, with 
special table d'hote luncheons and dinners for 
those who are on a diet, or who prefer taking their 
meals at a fixed price. 

The White is a charming and spacious colonial 
building, embracing all the romance of ante-bel- 
lum days. It has long been famous as the resort of 
Southern aristocracy, for its Southern hospitality, 
and old-fashioned Virginia cooking. 

Both of these hotels are in direct connection 
with the Bath Building. 

There are between fifty and sixty cottages sur- 
rounding the hotels, most of them of five rooms 
and two baths. These are particularly attractive 
to those who wish quiet and seclusion. 

HYGIENIC CONDITIONS 

The sanitary conditions of White Sulphur are 
all that could be desired. The undulating char- 
acter of the country and the complete sewerage sys- 
tem afford perfect drainage. There is never any 
stagnant water and mosquitoes are practically un- 
known. A new water system recently installed 
provides the most perfect drinking water. The 
water is derived from the Alvon Springs, some 
thirteen miles distant from the hotels, and has al- 
ready attained considerable reputation as a table 



92 The White Sulphur Springs 

water. It contains less than five grains of solids 
per gallon, is very soft and refreshing in taste, and 
possesses every requisite of an ideal drinking water. 

ANALYSIS OF WATER FROM WHITE SULPHUR SPRING 

Grains per U. S. Gall. 231 cu. in. 

Calcium Bicarbonate 9.1526 grs. 

Magnesium Bicarbonate 3-54°9 

Strontium Bicarbonate 1 657 

Iron (Ferrous) Bicarbonate 1742 

Manganese Bicarbonate trace 

Calcium Sulphate 76.2437 

Magnesium Sulphate 30.1592 

Potassium Sulphate 5250 

Sodium Sulphate 1.8667 

Sodium Chloride 1.7909 

Lithium Chloride 01 18 

Calcium Phosphate 0045 

Sodium Nitrate trace 

Silica _ 5833 

Alumina °536 

124.2721 

Free Carbon Dioxide 1.77 cu. in. 

Hydrogen Sulphide (Free) 1.068 " " 

ANALYSIS OF WATER FROM RADIO-CHALYBEATE SPRING 

Grains per U. S. Gall. 231 cu. in. 

Calcium Bicarbonate 1.1803 grs. 

Magnesium Bicarbonate 4023 " 




'^W.M 






PHI 111 It ^ 

IJ1§« 








The Spring House in the Olden Days 



Facing page 92 



Climate, Waters and Baths 93 

Calcium Sulphate 2.663 1 g rs - 

Manganese Sulphate 9917 

Strontium Sulphate 0875 

Iron (Ferrous) Sulphate I -33 I 5 

Magnesium Sulphate 144° 

Sodium Sulphate 1657 

Potassium Sulphate 0638 

Sodium Phosphate 0577 

Sodium Chloride 3412 

Sodium Iodide 0005 

Lithium Chloride trace 

Silica I-34I7 

Alumina 1 1 66 



8.8876 



ANALYSIS OF WATER FROM ALUM SPRING 

Grains per U. S. Gall. 231 cu. in. 

Aluminum Sulphate 17-434 grs. 

Iron Persulphate 660 

Manganese Sulphate 3- 00 4 

Nickel Sulphate 933 " 

Cobalt Sulphate trace 

Copper Sulphate trace 

Calcium Sulphate 1 1.608 

Magnesium Sulphate 34- IO ° 

Potassium Sulphate 7 00 

Lithium Sulphate trace 

Sodium Sulphate 1 75 

Sodium Iodide 002 " 

Sodium Chloride 95° 



94 The White Sulphur Springs 

Sodium Nitrate 210 grs. 

Sodium Phosphate 037 " 

Silica 1.780 " 

Free Sulphuric Acid 2 - 2 75 " 

73.868 " 







M T /-^ 5 9*37/ < WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS 

"/ I !-- Hi h^& / - t AND VICINITY 

-L^-- *r* ,v "*/"!/■••' WEST V.RG.N.A. 

<«yy T «>«. ^^ (ow^—-*' "' r * April 1914 






/ 









Compiled from various sources of informati 
believed to bn approximately accurate, but r 
as&ur»d;especioJlv as To roads indicated > 



Facing page 95 



THE WHITE SULPHUR, TWENTY-FIVE YEARS SINCE * 

JUST as the guests at the White Sulphur, 
about the middle of July, 1813, had risen 
from dinner, it was remarked that there 
would soon be a shower. In a short time 
the thunder began to growl. There was not a 
breath of air; all was as still as death. The sky 
and surrounding mountains were black. The large 
drops began to fall. Then came the rustling 
breeze. Peals of thunder followed upon peals, 
and clap after clap. The wind swept down the 
intervening valleys. Quick and sharp flashes of 
lightning made the inmates of the cabins start up 
and pace their rooms in alarm. Suddenly there 
was a loud crash, followed by the falling of an 
immense oak that stood in the adjacent wood. In- 
stantly smoke began to ascend. The tree had been 
struck by the electric fluid and set on fire. The 
rain fell in torrents, accompanied by hail. In an 
hour the storm passed away to the southward, and 
the sun broke forth in cloudless glory. The terror 
that had filled every bosom was dispelled, and the 

1 Southern Literary Messenger, 1839. 

95 



96 The White Sulphur Springs 

company left their apartments. The hum of the 
crowd was again heard, and at the usual time the 
ladies reappeared in their evening dresses, moving 
in different directions along the walks. 

Curiosity is on tip-toe at all watering-places, 
whenever a new comer makes his appearance. It 
is asked, eagerly, who is he? Where is he from? 
Does anybody know anything about him? Silent 
comments are made by the spectators upon his 
manner and personal attractions, and most com- 
monly he is placed in that rank which he actually 
maintains in general society. 

A young man wearing the undress uniform of a 
naval officer, well mounted, and accompanied by 
a servant, stopped at the spring. It was evident 
that he had encountered the recent tempest, and 
had been drenched by the rain. All eyes were 
fixed on him as he walked up slowly and feebly 
to the house. The women who saw him pitied 
him; for his pale countenance and emaciated 
frame proved that he had really come in search 
of health, and that his sufferings had been neither 
light nor of short duration. The stranger was tall 
and finely proportioned. His carriage was more 
gentle and graceful than is common to men of his 
vocation; his eye was of the deepest blue; his com- 
plexion, which was unusually fair, was shaded by 
a profusion of light hair, which curled thickly 
and spontaneously. There was an uncommon 



The White Sulphur, Twenty-five Years Since 97 

share of energy in the expression of his counte- 
nance and although he could not be more than three 
and twenty, he seemed already to have endured 
much hard service. A close observer would have 
concluded that his soul was the seat of noble and 
generous sentiments, and that he was just such a 
man as would strike the imagination of an ac- 
complished and highly intellectual woman, and, 
if he wished it, take her affections captive; for 
however much the softer sex may admire in the 
opposite one, genius, courage, acquirements and 
humanity, their delight in the contemplation of 
these qualities is heightened to rapturous enthusi- 
asm, when united with personal elegance. The 
Lieutenant soon mingled with the throng. Al- 
though naturally shy and exclusive, he met all ad- 
vances towards an acquaintance kindly and po- 
litely. But he was laboring under a deep depres- 
sion of spirits, owing, as all supposed, and as was 
the fact, to the shattered condition of his health. 

Early one morning, a carriage drawn by four 
white horses stopped at the White Sulphur, from 
which there alighted an elderly gentleman and 
lady, accompanied by a girl who appeared to be 
about nineteen. The equipage of the visitor was 
splendid, and indicated his expensive tastes, and 
the extent of his private fortune. He was a native 

and a citizen of South Carolina. Mr. H , 

when young, had resided in Europe for several 



98 The White Sulphur Springs 

years. During his absence, he had perfected his 
knowledge of French and Spanish, by an intimate 
intercourse with men of education and rank, who 
spoke those languages with classical purity. In 
general society his manner was easy and polished, 
yet decided. He expressed his opinions on all sub- 
jects boldly and frankly, yet with marked respect 
for those who differed from him. He had studied 
no science profoundly, yet he had collected a large 
mass of valuable information, which he detailed 
to those with whom he associated in an acceptable 
manner. Whilst he paid on all occasions the most 
delicate regard to the feelings of others, he re- 
pelled, as quick as thought, the slightest intrusion 
on his own. When his resentments were aroused 
they were vehemently expressed. That he was 
proud of his ancestry, and jealous of his personal 
dignity and honor, was manifest to every one with 

whom he became acquainted. Mrs.H ,when 

young, was beautiful. She was gay, sensitive, 
devoted to such society as suited her tastes. With 
her equals she was agreeable, spirited, and even 
fascinating. Towards the honest poor she was 
bountiful — towards the vulgar she was intoler- 
ant. With the afflicted she sympathized deeply, 
and even gave them her personal assistance, as well 
as a portion of her ample pecuniary means. On 
great occasions she was distinguished by the rich- 
ness of her attire, and the loftiness of her man- 



The White Sulphur, Twenty-five Years Since 99 

ner. If others expected to partake of her hos- 
pitalities, or to be honored with her smiles, they 
were required to pay her that homage which she 
conceived to be due to rank, talent and opulence. 

The daughter, Anna H , was not perfectly 

beautiful. She had been carefully and usefully 
educated. Her mother had the desire to fit her to 
adorn either the most elevated station in society 
or to sit by an unambitious hearth, a domestic 
queen, where grandeur should be unknown, and 
where her husband in her society could not fear 
the worst of fortune's malice — where she might 
banish melancholy from all her household, and 
speed the hours with lively cares. 

No woman ever felt the power of poetry and 
song more deeply than Anna H . On sev- 
eral occasions she had composed slight poetical 
effusions, bearing marks of genius and a cultivated 
taste. Devoted to music, she touched the strings 
of her harp with infinite tenderness. It was im- 
possible for any ingenuous youth to resist her smile, 
or to be content with a single view of her. And 
he who loved her felt as though he could not per- 
mit the winds of heaven to visit her too rudely. 

It was not to be wondered at that Anna H 

commanded the homage of the first young men 
in that part of the country where she resided. That 
she was delighted with the attentions that were 
paid her — that she rejoiced in the conquests 



ioo The White Sulphur Springs 

achieved by her personal charms, it was impos- 
sible to doubt — for she was a woman! On her first 
coming, the Lieutenant, who was recovering his 
strength, often passed and repassed her. Both 
seemed willing to halt and converse upon indiffer- 
ent topics. On more than one occasion she ad- 
verted to his travels abroad, as he had been much 
in the countries bordering on the Mediterranean. 
He imparted his valuable knowledge with elo- 
quence and power. The susceptible girl listened 
with delight to the graceful sailor. If she had not 
wished to reciprocate .the enjoyment which she 
felt in these hasty, partial, and interrupted inter- 
views, she would have done violence to her nature, 
and to that mysterious and irresistible attraction 
which exists between the sexes. At the evening 
dance, she felt a secret pride, and why she did not 
exactly know, when the Lieutenant demanded her 
hand, and accompanied her through its mazes. 
How light her air — how delicate her glee! It 
seemed as if there was nothing that could disturb 
the serenity of her temper — or sadden her brow — 
or repress the smiles which she bestowed in pro- 
fusion upon those who followed in her train. 

It was proposed, one evening, that the younger 
part of the visitors should make an excursion to 
the neighboring hills on horseback. If a young 
female of the present day — repining in indolence 
in her deeply cushioned carriage, with colorless 



The White Sulphur, Twenty-five Years Since 101 

cheek, the ringlets of her hair and the folds of her 
rich dress undisturbed — be an object to be ad- 
mired; still she, who, wrapped in her riding habit, 
brushes away the dew of the morning, decked in 
the roses of health, is an object to be loved. The 
one is the lifeless statue of the sculptor — the other 
the living, animated child of nature. 

There was a bustle amongst the wayfaring party. 
The grooms were called, and the necessary orders 
given. The servants, who were going along, were 
directed to put up some refreshments — those of the 
gentlemen who played, took their flutes and 
clarionets. When it was announced that all was 
ready, a spirited Virginian led up for the "little 

South Carolina," as Anna H was called, 

a small and perfectly beautiful blooded filly, that 
looked like a domesticated deer — she was so docile. 
Anna was struck by the symmetry of her form, and 
making a sudden spring adjusted herself in a 
twinkling in the saddle. The balmy air had given 
a deep color to her cheek and unusual animation 
to her dark, intellectual eye. Her blushes sprung 
from the joy with which her bosom was almost 
bursting. Over her countenance a thousand 
shadows were moving. Set off with a becoming 
green riding dress, a silk handkerchief around her 
neck, fastened by a glittering diamond pin, a small 
light hat, and seizing the whip which was handed 
her, she touched the animal gently, who put for- 



102 The White Sulphur Springs 

ward as though she moved on springs, and was 
even conscious of the precious burden which she 
bore. Leading the van, Anna was followed by a 
splendid train of more than forty, and a proud 
and happy train it was of southern chivalry and 
southern beauty. How much of virtue, of affection, 
intelligence and accomplishment, was there in that 
joyful company! How many of those who went 
forth on that day have since been wrapped in their 
winding sheets, and become the prey of icy, unre- 
lenting worms! Of those who still survive how 
many of the world's afflictions have they suffered 
— how many vicissitudes of fortune have they en- 
countered! Already some of them have begun to 
feel the withering influence of accumulated years, 
whilst others are care-worn widows and anxious 
mothers. 

Passing rapidly over the rough road, along 
which the sojourners pursued their way, they ar- 
rived at the foot of the mountain, which they were 
to ascend by a winding and difficult path. Having 
at length reached the summit, they were amply 
compensated for their toil. The sun had risen un- 
obscured by the slightest cloud; his golden beams 
had dissipated the mists which had gathered 
through the night upon the deep valleys that sep- 
arated the tall cliffs. A number of hunters, who 
resided near the White Sulphur, had gone upon 
the chase with the hounds, at the first dawn of 



The White Sulphur, Twenty-five Years Since 103 

morning. The indistinct cry of the dogs that were 
afar off was heard. The sound, first in one and 
then in another direction, marked the doublings 
of the stag which they were hotly pursuing. The 
crack of a rifle told that he had passed one of the 
stands that was occupied. The busy and rejoicing 
reapers, in the fields that were miles off, appeared 
no larger than children. Here and there a farm- 
house was discovered, and the cattle grazing 
around on the luxuriant grass. The teams were 
hauling the heavily laden wagons to the barns. 
The hours passed off delightfully. Some of the 
gentlemen had cut away the branches of a wild 
grapevine in the low grounds, which the servants 
had brought along, and out of which a rude swing 
was made, which, if not very comfortable in the 
use, was the cause of much merriment. Awhile 
after mid-day, the provisions were spread out upon 
a broad and smooth rock. The waiters were dis- 
patched down the side of the mountain, with their 
pitchers, to a cool and gushing fountain. 

The Lieutenant was fond of music. He had 
found relief from the monotony of a seaman's life 
in the cultivation of his taste in this delicious art. 
He was devoted to his guitar — often the com- 
panion of his melancholy hours. His powers of 
execution had been greatly improved during his 
visits to the seacoast of Spain and Italy. He sung 
several spirited and humorous canzona and bal- 



104 The White Sulphur Springs 

lads. Now the company were all clustered to- 
gether, and now divided into small parties. A few 
of the fair maidens, accompanied by gentlemen, 
moved off under the pretext of hunting wild flow- 
ers. But they soon halted and separated into pairs. 
Anon they were espied listening to the soft words 
of their lovers, either in breathless confusion or 
with arch audacity. 

Whilst all were wholly unconscious how rap- 
idly the time was flying, one of the servants an- 
nounced that clouds were gathering in the west, 
and they might be overtaken by a gust — an event 
so common and so sudden in those elevated regions. 
Every one was startled at this unwelcome and un- 
expected intelligence. Taking their departure in 
the utmost haste, they had proceeded but a short 
distance before it became evident that they would 
not be able to reach the springs before the falling 
of the rain. It was then suggested that they should 
take shelter in a waste house, about two miles off, 
which in former days had been used as a stopping 
place by the numerous immigrants removing to 
the rich lands bordering on the Ohio and Kanawha 
Rivers. 

Although the horses flew along the path, the 
travelers had scarcely reached their desolate re- 
treat before the rain began to pour down in tor- 
rents, and continued falling for several hours. The 
situation of the company became irksome and un- 



The White Sulphur, Twenty-five Years Since 105 

comfortable. At last they set out, fearing that they 
might be overtaken by night, and proceeded at a 
rapid pace. In the morning they had passed a 
stream which was scarcely three feet deep; but 
on now approaching it, all were surprised to find 
that it was greatly swollen and impetuous. Still 
those who were in front, led by a resident of the 
vicinity, plunged in, and passed over it without 

much apparent difficulty. Anna H was 

about midway of the crowd. When she reached 
the brink of the creek, several behind her were 
precipitated upon her. The filly, on entering the 
water, diverged from the shallow ford, slipped, 
and her rider fell, before her immediate attend- 
ant could make the slightest effort to save her. 
The terrified girl floated off in a moment on the 
angry stream, sinking gradually — being drawn 
down by the water absorbed by her clothing. She 
made not a struggle to avert her destiny. Sud- 
denly there was a loud and penetrating cry from 
the rear to clear the way! The Lieutenant came 
running with all his might, and as he ran threw to 
each side of him his hat, coat, neckcloth and waist- 
coat. In all his movements there was a desperate 
fury. Casting himself upon the flood he made 
eagerly after the object of his heroical pursuit. 
After reaching a considerable distance from the 
spot where she had fallen, the victim wholly dis- 
appeared — but as she rose to the surface, the Lieu- 



io6 The White Sulphur Springs 

tenant seized her by her hair, which was disen- 
gaged, her hat being lost. The main difficulty now 
lay in taking the sufferer to the shore. The water 
ran so rapidly that the Lieutenant was compelled 
to swim obliquely, dragging Anna after him, and 
having caught a bush, he thus held to his charge 
until he received assistance. At last the pale and 
senseless body was laid upon the ground. All who 
were present were in the deepest distress and 
alarm: the females were overwhelmed with grief 
and horror. A young physician who was along 
suggested that the patient might be restored. 
Having placed her in such a position as to throw 
the water from the chest, he ordered her to be 
rubbed, and made many unsuccessful efforts to 
draw blood. After an hour, there were symptoms 
of returning respiration. A messenger was dis- 
patched to the Spring to quiet the fears of the 
visitors and to procure a carriage. 

After much conversation about the sad and 
nearly fatal accident which had happened, the 
guests retired for the night, but resumed the sub- 
ject the next morning at the breakfast table. Every 
tongue was loud in praise of the heroism of the 
Lieutenant. Whilst all were anxiously looking 
for him to enter the room, one of the waiters stated 
that he and his boy had left before daylight. This 
intelligence filled every one with amazement. No- 
body knew or could guess whither he had gone, or 



The White Sulphur, Twenty-five Years Since 107 

what could have caused his sudden and apparently 
mysterious departure. 

Anna H , under the influence of an ano- 
dyne, had become composed. When she awoke 
at a late hour, she found her father and mother 
sitting by her bedside. Slight allusions were made 
to her almost miraculous preservation. In the 
course of the day her female acquaintances visited 
her, and spoke in raptures of the noble young sail- 
or. One of them observed, "How strange it is 
that he went off so suddenly — and without saying 
good-bye to a soul ; without permitting any one to 
thank him for saving the life of our friend, at the 
eminent hazard of his own." These words had 
scarcely escaped from the lips of the speaker, be- 
fore Anna, raising herself up and placing her 
head upon her hand, and her elbow on the pillow, 
exclaimed — "Gone! Gone where?" To which it 
was replied — "He is certainly gone and no mortal 
can tell where." Throwing herself back, the dis- 
tressed girl fell in a deep reverie, and the tears 
trickled down her cheek. She seemed to be say- 
ing to herself, "It would have been far better 
for me if I had not been snatched from a watery 
grave." The vigilant mother beheld those tears 
with unutterable anguish, because she saw that 
the recent incident might give color to the whole 
future life of her only child. Her pride and affec- 
tion revolted at the thought of her daughter be- 



108 The White Sulphur Springs 

coming the victim of a hopeless and unrecipro- 
cated passion. 

The approach of autumn admonished the visi- 
tors at the White Sulphur that it was time to re- 
turn to their homes. The pleasures of the last two 
months had been enjoyed and were gone forever. 
First one and then another family had bade adieu. 

Mr. and Mrs. H became anxious to depart. 

Their daughter was thoughtful and solitary — a 
feeling to which she had before been a stranger. 
At length the driver was seated, the postilions 
mounted, the carriage moved off rapidly, and soon 
disappeared from those who had collected to say 
farewell. The journey, to Anna, was long and 
wearisome; her thoughts were forever fixed on the 
Lieutenant, whose manly graces became every day 
more captivating in her view. She recollected cer- 
tain slight incidents that had occurred at the creek 
after her restoration, and amongst others, that the 
Lieutenant had asked her with trembling anxiety 
if her person had been in any way injured by her 
fall; and when the carriage had been drawn up 
for her to be laid in it, he lifted her up, folded her 
in his arms, and bore her along with a degree of 
delicacy, tenderness and care, which had filled her 
heart to overflowing. However, she imagined that 
her domestic engagements would drive off those 
painful recollections that haunted and annoyed 
her. 



The White Sulphur, Twenty-five Years Since 109 

When she arrived in sight of her father's magnif- 
icent patrimonial establishment, situated on an 
island on the coast of Carolina, she was partially 
aroused from her despondency. She was return- 
ing to the spot where she was born. How many 
fond endearments are associated with the remem- 
brance of even the humblest home! As the trav- 
elers passed in at the gate that opened upon the 
broad avenue, planted on either side with the beau- 
tiful magnolia and china trees, the numerous field 
hands espied them, stopped their work and gazed. 
As they approached the stately mansion-house, the 
younger slaves came forth from their cabins to 
welcome the arrival of their lordly master. The 
privileged house servants presented themselves and 
whilst engaged in removing the baggage, were tell- 
ing how lonesome they had been, and detailing all 
the news which they had heard about the people 
of the neighborhood. The superannuated negroes 
came limping along, and offered their respectful 
congratulations, which were graciously returned. 

Anna's ancient and affectionate nurse followed 
her into her apartment, and inquired how she was 
pleased with her jaunt — observing with an exult- 
ing smile that she knew that there was not as pretty 
a girl as she at the Springs, and that she had ex- 
pected to see some handsome young men coming 
home with her. After a pause, she said, "But I 
reckon they will be along after a while." Anna 



no The White Sulphur Springs 

drew away the kindhearted creature gently from 
this painful topic. 

The next morning after an early breakfast, Mrs. 

H and her daughter set out on a visit to the 

dwellings of the slaves. The children that had 
been born during their absence were presented 
with maternal pride; the cares of the sick were 
considered; whatever was amiss in the houses was 
promptly corrected; kind encouragement was giv- 
en to those who were seriously ill, and the neces- 
sary refreshments ordered. Fanatical devotion to 
abstract principles, with due regard to attendant 
circumstances, is one of the hallucinations that 
marks our age and comfort. But can a single being 
be found, who, after viewing the working of this 
patriarchal system, would desire to break it up, 
founded as it is upon reciprocal affection, mutual 
interest, and perfect protection? 

The Lieutenant proceeded on his journey with 
all practical dispatch. Having passed the Blue 
Ridge, he took a public conveyance, directing his 
course to the north. He had left his post with 
the greatest reluctance, and at the earnest entreaty 
of his physician and friend. Like all his associates 
in the same service, his faculties were absorbed in 
the thrilling events which were then occurring on 
the land and the water, and, like them, he was 
watching eagerly for an opportunity to try the 
perils of battle, and "pluck up drowned honor by 



The White Sulphur, Twenty-five Years Since ill 

the locks," amidst its carnage. The Lieutenant 
had been ordered to join one of our national ves- 
sels, just ready for sea. Her equipments were com- 
plete: her crew counted on certain victory, when- 
ever the enemy could be met and fought. The 
anchors were weighed — the star spangled banner 
and silver sails were spread out to the propitious 
breeze; her commander proudly trod her deck; 
her parting salute was answered by the huzzas of 
countless thousands; she moved away from the 
anxious gaze "like a thing of life," followed by 
many a pious prayer to heaven for her safety and 
success. 

The family on the island soon became settled. 

Mr. H was engaged in preparation of his 

annual crop for market. His wife was giving a 
general superintendence to the extensive arrange- 
ments of her household. Their friends came in 
numbers from the main land to congratulate them 
on their return. Anna was often sad. The mother 
perceiving that her wounded spirit had begun to 
feed upon itself, persuaded her to invite her school- 
companion and friend Henrietta R , to visit 

and spend some time with her. This girl was al- 
most a mountain nymph; she had been born and 
raised in the upper country of Carolina, where her 
father owned a baronial estate. The natural dispo- 
sitions of the two girls were opposite; and yet 
whilst the frolic graces of the one had charmed 



112 The White Sulphur Springs 

the heart of her companion, the retiring diffidence 
of the other had enkindled a like feeling of regard. 
Henrietta was as pensive as the morning; all her 
anxious hopes were subdued by the patient forti- 
tude of woman, and her griefs, from which even 
she was not wholly exempted, settled into gentle 
rest. Her bright and peaceful brow added to the 
luster of the rich ringlets that floated over it; her 
deep, meditative eyes overflowed with pious senti- 
ments; her aspirations pointed to a seraphic im- 
mortality; on her cheek there dwelt the tenderest 
pink; in her eye the tenderest blue. No sensitive 
mind could contemplate her thoughtfulness and 
beauty without yielding with profoundest homage 
to both. She seemed to tread upon the dew-drops 
of her mountain skies, as if she feared to crush 
them too roughly. 

The meeting of the two maidens was full of 
affection. Anna, feeling no restraint, poured out 
her inmost thoughts into the bosom of her friend. 
She stated, that after she had reached home, she 
had gotten hold of a paper which announced the 
sailing of the ship to which the Lieutenant be- 
longed. This was all that she had learned con- 
cerning him, since his sudden disappearance from 
the Springs. Why he had gone without announc- 
ing his intention to any one — without waiting to 
receive the grateful and everlasting thanks of her 
parents — without knowing whether she would re- 



The White Sulphur, Twenty-five Years Since 113 

cover from the shock which she had suffered, it 
was impossible for her to divine. Then she asked 
in a tone of the deepest distress, "Ought he not to 
have delayed at least a few hours?" All these mat- 
ters perplexed the mind of Henrietta, who was 
unable to suggest even a plausible explanation of 
them. 

Part of the winter had passed away. Some gen- 
tlemen visited the island, bringing with them in- 
vitations for Mr. H and his family to a 

New Year's ball to be given in Charleston. The 
ladies were earnestly pressed to attend. Anna's 
mother was anxious that all should go, believing 
that a change of scene might enliven the spirits of 
her daughter, who at last consented to gratify the 
wishes of her parent. 

Carriage after carriage rolled over the streets of 
the city; the spacious rooms blazed with a thousand 
lights; party after party swelled the joyous crowd; 
beauties after beauties were escorted to their seats, 
attired in all the decorations that fancy could in- 
vent and hand prepare. What an eager assem- 
blage it was! The young and the old exchanged 
mutual congratulations; the music imparted life 
into the weary, and cheered the mourners; the 
anxious were at rest; the dancers moved off mer- 
rily. After some hours, there prevailed through 
the principal apartment an almost clamorous rev- 
elry. At the lower end of it there was collected 



H4 The White Sulphur Springs 

suddenly a small group of gentlemen, to whom 
one of them was giving an impassioned narrative 
with much gesticulation. They were quickly joined 
by many more. In a moment the noise ceased and 
every sound was hushed. It was announced that one 
of our frigates had met one of those of the enemy, 
and had, after a contest of an hour and a half, 
gained a brilliant victory. When the deep feel- 
ing which this glorious intelligence aroused had 
partially subsided, there was a loud outcry for 
the particulars, which had been only partially 
communicated to the throng. The name of the 
American vessel had fallen upon the ear of Anna, 
and that alone was sufficient to excite all her fears. 
That the general anxiety might be relieved, a 
person was appointed to read the official dispatch 
of the commander from the elevated seat of the 
musicians. How the gentle bosoms of the maidens 
heaved and sunk as the reader proceeded with 
the thrilling narrative. How proud was the ex- 
ultation of those patriot Southrons, who, alive 
alike to the national honor and their own, would 
quarrel upon the ninth part of a hair! Towards 
the close of this account, the brave captain stated 
that so obstinate a conflict could not be attended 
with loss, — that the enemy had suffered immensely, 

and his ship considerably. Lieutenant Y , 

he observed, had conducted himself with the ut- 
most gallantry and skill, and it grieved him to say 



The White Sulphur, Twenty-five Years Since 115 

that when the action was nearly over, he had 
fallen badly wounded. 

The mother and Henrietta preserved their self- 
possession. When they learned the fate of the 
Lieutenant, they led Anna away, and sought a 
private apartment. Placing her upon a bed, they 
employed the language of comfort, and insisted 
that he would recover. Anna said in a soft whis- 
per to her friend, "I should be willing to end my 
sufferings in death, if I could only enjoy the privi- 
lege of standing beside him, and staunching the 
blood which is flowing from his wounds with these 
feeble hands of mine." Before the day dawned, 
the crowded apartments were silent as the cham- 
bers of the dead. The tired domestics — the ex- 
hausted votaries of pleasure — the grave matrons — 
the blushing fair ones — were wrapped in.sleep, the 
blessed corrector of our bodily and mental excesses. 

Week after week rolled away, but no tidings of 
the Lieutenant or his gallant ship reached the 
family on the island. Her books, which were taken 
up and soon thrown aside, brought no relief to 
Anna from the anxieties by which she was tor- 
tured. She gladly vanished from the sight of 
every stranger, and longed for that repose of heart 
which she had once enjoyed ; but she was 
affrighted by busy dreams and wild fancies; her 
harp alone cheered her privacy and soothed her 
sorrows. Formerly she had been passionately de- 



ii6 The White Sulphur Springs 

voted to her dahlias, in all their richness and count- 
less varieties — to her japonicas and blushing roses, 
fit emblems of herself. But now her hair was un- 
adorned, and she was content with only one flower, 
which she wore beneath her bosom more for love 
than ornament. 

At last the spring arrived. The air became soft, 
and all animated nature rejoiced; Anna alone 
seemed doomed to carry in her heart a remem- 
brance of grief, spotless and gentle as she was. She 
and her friend sometimes directed their steps to 
the sea-side, after the sun had gone to rest in his 
western bed. The breeze was slumbering — the 
curling and dashing waves were no longer strug- 
gling with each other. Only a heaving of the 
mighty deep still survived. The moon held undis- 
puted sway in the heavens; and the frail vessels 
that had been driven before the recent tempest, 
now glided over the waters peacefully, courting 
fresh gales to waft them to their destined ports. 
The solitary owl, alarmed by the approach of the 
wanderers, broke from his resting place, and sailed 
away to a deeper solitude. 

As the heat of the summer approached, it be- 
came evident that Anna was rapidly losing her 
strength — that her spirit was nearly crushed, and 
that she mourned as one without hope. Sometimes 
she was shocked at the thought that she was nur- 
turing a passion for one who had never wilfully 



The White Sulphur, Twenty-five Years Since 117 

by word or act sought to excite it. But her con- 
science whispered soft and lulling excuses, since 
none could blame her for cherishing a grateful 
feeling towards the preserver of her life. Those 
medical advisers who were consulted, suggested 
that a voyage by sea to the north, and a change of 
scene and objects, might exercise a salutary in- 
fluence over a mind that was evidently laboring 
under a feeling of desolateness, which it seemed 
impossible either to control or to resist. 

The family on the island at length embarked for 
Newport in Rhode Island, where they proposed 
to spend the summer. The enemy's cruisers were 
hovering all along the coast; but the captain al- 
leged that he could run away from everything that 
might be sent in pursuit of him. For two days 
the vessel moved slowly over the weary waves — 
the slight breezes died away; now she glided 
smoothly over the mighty deep, and now with 
graceful motion she breasted the huge billows 
when roughened into hill and valley; and then 
again she wantonly washed her sides, rebounding 
and rebounding. After much anxiety, the land 
was seen indistinctly by the man at the main top — : 
then from the deck — then it broke broadly upon 
the view of the delighted passengers — then the 
town was spread out before them— they flew over 
the water — cast their anchors, and received the con- 
gratulations of the rejoicing crowd. 



n8 The White Sulphur Springs 

About a month after the party from Carolina 
had landed, the arrival of the frigate to which the 
Lieutenant was attached was announced. This in- 
telligence was delicately communicated by the 
mother to her daughter. Was he then in the same 
land with herself, and so near her? A delicious 
hope sprung up in her bosom. Would he make 
any inquiries about her? Had he ever thought of 
her since he left her? Had she made any favor- 
able impressions upon him? These were questions 
which Anna asked herself a thousand times, with- 
out being able to resolve them. Mrs. H was 

uneasy and perplexed. But it was impossible for 
her to pass the boundaries of female delicacy, by 
apprising the Lieutenant that they were in that 
part of the country. It might even be improper' 
for her husband to address him and offer his 
thanks for the preservation of his child, and con- 
gratulate him on his gallant defense of the rights 
of his country. What the one sex achieves by 
power, the other effects by expedients. The ever 
faithful Henrietta, having learned that there were 
several young naval officers in the town, deter- 
mined to obtain an introduction to them through 
the interference of a friend. She spoke of the late 
engagement and of the part which the Lieutenant 
had taken in it, and then inquired if they knew 
him. One of the officers replied that he was his 
most intimate friend — that he possessed every vir- 



The White Sulphur, Twenty-five Years Since 119 

tue, and was universally beloved by his compan- 
ions — that he had returned in perfect health, as he 
had been informed. Beyond this she dared not go. 

That night Henrietta communicated what she 
had learned; her companion went over it again 
and again, and held her in conversation until deep 
in the night. At last both fell away into a refresh- 
ing sleep, that "balm to hurt minds — that death of 
each day's life." The next morning Anna arose 
at an early hour; her heart was at least relieved, 
and she breathed more freely. Once more smiles 
played over her long saddened countenance. There 
was an exultation and healthfulness in her hopes, 
which lent a charm to everything around her. The 
secret cares of her toilet had been neglected; but 
now she was almost prepared to resume them. 

As she was sitting alone one evening at the win- 
dow of her room in the hotel, she was startled by 
the rushing of six or eight young men from a door 
of one of the parlors, into a paved yard that was 
in the rear of it, and which was covered by an 
arbor of vines. The night was excessively hot 
and close. Servants followed with chairs and a 
table, on which decanters of wine and glasses were 
placed. It seemed as if some old companions, who 
had long been separated, had suddenly met. Many 
inquiries were made by each of the other; but 
Anna could not hear the replies, owing to her dis- 
tance from them. Henrietta joined her, and both 



120 The White Sulphur Springs 

endeavored unsuccessfully to ascertain of whom 
this party was composed — whether of residents or 
strangers. Both hoped that the Lieutenant might 
possibly have arrived, yet each feared to communi- 
cate her thoughts to the other. The party soon 
became gay — the welkin rung with peals of laugh- 
ter. Anna arose frequently, and paced the room 
with her hands folded on her bosom ; her heart and 
temples throbbed. Then she reseated herself. 
Several songs were sung — one of which she had 
heard before. The voice she thought was that of 
the Lieutenant, and she so said to her companion. 

At last universal stillness prevailed. The 
breezes from the sea were at rest. Looking out, 
Anna watched the immeasurably distant stars roll- 
ing through the firmament. Now and then she 
shed a solitary tear in the silence of the night, and 
poured forth those sighs which are not meant for 
human ear — but even these were mingled with 
the joy of hope. The welcome dawn arrived — 
welcome, because she longed for that certainty 
which would set her spirit free from the doubts 
by which it was tortured — until then, it was impos- 
sible that her mind could settle down into a peace- 
ful calm. 

Mr. H sallied forth to learn whether the 

Lieutenant had really arrived, and soon found 
that he had. Having ascertained his lodgings, he 
called. He congratulated himself that he was 



The White Sulphur, Twenty-five Years Since 121 

at last able to return his acknowledgments for the 
rescue of his child; stated that his family was with 
him, and would be happy to see him. On receiv- 
ing this kind and frank invitation, a deep glow 
passed over the countenance of the Lieutenant, 
who replied that he would do himself the honor 

to call in the morning. Mrs. H , alive to 

the situation of her daughter, counseled her to 
control herself as much as possible. 

Never did hours pass off so heavily as those 
which intervened between the time when Anna 
was apprised of the intended visit and its actual 
occurrence. She feared that she might betray her 
real feelings, from which her feminine delicacy 
shrunk back in dismay. True, her heart was full 
of nature, kind and forlorn, and had made a thou- 
sand tender sacrifices. She had long mourned in 
meekness, and a high and holy affection had taken 
possession of her. Her gratitude had opened the 
way to love, and she was unable to resist. Still 
the bare thought of revealing the secrets of her 
bosom shocked her; and yet she suffered no self- 
reproach, for she asked herself if the object on 
which she doted was not brave, generous, full of 
benevolence and manly gracefulness. 

Anna arose with the sun. At the proper time 
she made her toilet with anxious care — attired her- 
self in a rich dress, somewhat grave — decked out 
her hair with a modest ornament which she had 



122 The White Sulphur Springs 

worn at the Springs, and of which the Lieutenant 
had expressed his admiration, to which she added 
a single flower. More than once she asked her 
friend how she looked — viewed herself in her mir- 
ror, and made some alterations which did not 
please her. She sat down and endeavored to drive 
away her agitation. But, in a few moments, she 
was again unconsciously on her feet. The family 
were seated in the parlor, when several visitors 
came in, who soon engaged in familiar conversa- 
tion. In a short time the Lieutenant was an- 
nounced, when Mr. H arose and met him 

at the door; his wife gave him a cordial welcome, 
and, with all the thoughtful readiness of woman, 
accompanied him to the side of the room where 
her daughter was sitting, remarking that she had 
been indisposed, but was now recovering. Anna 
attempted in vain to rise — she was dumb — but she 
extended her hand, which was cold, clammy, and 
nerveless; and which the Lieutenant took in the 
most respectful manner. He was painfully struck 
by her altered appearance, for she was no longer 
light and free — a gay image of cheerfulness and 
health — but was so fallen away that she looked 
like a lovely apparition, between life and death. 
His bosom was instantly rilled with the deepest 
commiseration, and his equanimity was disturbed 
by a poignant distress. When he took leave he 
was invited to call again, for which he returned 



The White Sulphur, Twenty-five Years Since 123 

his thanks. Anna expected and hoped that it 
would be soon — but she was disappointed, for he 
came not for several days. In this interval of 
anxious suspense her hopes sank and her spirits 
flagged. 

At an earlier hour than usual, whilst the two 
friends were alone in the drawing room, the Lieu- 
tenant arrived. He was dressed in full uniform, 
and was unusually gay. He pressed his conversa- 
tion upon Anna — spoke of her music — hoped she 
had not abandoned it — was tenderly solicitous 
about her health, and made many inquiries con- 
cerning their favorite acquaintances, who were at 
the White Sulphur with them, and even passed 
some flattering compliments upon herself. She 
felt her heart leap in her bosom — her cheeks were 
suffused with blushes — the emotions that possessed 
her were too delicious for utterance, even if her 
maiden modesty had permitted her to speak. 
When he was gone Anna observed that she had 
never seen him look so handsome before. Each 
succeeding day drew the brave young officer and 
the enamored girl closer together. He came 
often, and was surprised to find how long he had 
remained and how rapidly the hours had flown. 
She joined him in the performance of some pieces 
of music full of sentiment and passion. 

The ladies were anxious to learn the minuter 
incidents of the recent battle, in which the Lieu- 



124 The White Sulphur Springs 

tenant had been engaged, but which he modestly 
declined giving, until he was earnestly requested, 
when he favored them with the following narra- 
tive: 

"On putting to sea a universal wish prevailed 
that we might meet a force every way equal to our 
own, and have a close, hard conflict. We almost 
envied those of our brethren who had already gath- 
ered so many and such rich laurels at the expense 
of the enemy. The sailors were in the best spirits 
— the lieutenants and midshipmen talked in their 
mess-rooms of nothing but fighting. Whenever 
a vessel came in sight every one was eagerly on the 
lookout. But all our hopes ended in disappoint- 
ment. The discipline of the ship was perfect. At 
about eleven o'clock one morning the man at the 
main-top cried out 'a sail!' Everybody caught the 
word in an instant. Directions were given to put 
the ship about, and we were in full pursuit. Oth- 
ers were sent aloft, who confirmed the intelligence 
already given. The topsails of the stranger were 
first seen — then, after a long interval, her larger 
sails became visible. The boatswain blew his shrill 
whistle with more than his accustomed energy, and 
all hands were piped to quarters. The decks were 
cleared for action; the charges in the guns were 
drawn, and they were reloaded; the matches were 
lighted; the young officers flew to their posts; the 
powder boys assumed their appointed stations. 



The White Sulphur, Twenty-five Years Since 125 

The commander paced the quarter deck, then 
halted and applied his glass to his long practiced 
eye; then called the first lieutenant of the ship, 
and made some new suggestions to him. 

"The hostile ships gradually approached each 
other. The hull of the enemy slowly rose to the 
view, as though she was breaking from the bottom- 
less deep. The wind blew freshly. She seemed 
to play with the ocean, and to ride wantonly on 
the white-capped waves. We ran up our flags and 
our antagonist did the same. She moved on 
proudly, and came so near, that by the aid of our 
spy-glasses, the number of her port-holes could be 
counted. To several discharges from our cannon 
she made a quick and defying reply. The long 
wished-for moment had arrived, for it was evident 
that a battle was inevitable. A whisper might 
have been heard amongst our people. As the sea 
was much agitated, it was a long time before we 
could attain the desired position, for the order of 
the captain was not to fire until we were so near 
that every shot would tell. The foe was equally 
busy with ourselves, and maneuvered for the ad- 
vantage with a skill which extorted our admira- 
tion. Finally the word was passed — we gave three 
hearty cheers, and poured in a heavy broadside, 
which was returned. One of our guns was dis- 
mounted — four of our brave fellows were killed 
and five wounded. Our ship was put about, and 



126 The White Sulphur Springs 

our batteries again vomited forth death and deso- 
lation upon our fearless enemy. As the opposing 
vessel as well as our own was thrown up by the 
waves, our gunners held up their fire; but as she 
descended they blazed away, and she was struck 
point-blank in her hull. After another round, her 
main-mast gave way and fell by the board with 
a heavy crash. At this our crew spontaneously 
raised a loud shout, and our veteran commander 
exclaimed in a paroxysm of feeling, and with an 
oath, "That ship is ours." A scattering fire at us 
was kept up for some time; but at last the proud 
banner of the enemy was hauled down and all 
resistance ended. An officer was dispatched to 
receive the sword of the vanquished but gallant 
leader. But he was overwhelmed by pity when 
he looked on the spectacle which his own valor 
had assisted in creating. The commander was just 
breathing his last. More than sixty men lay dead 
upon the decks, weltering in their blood; amongst 
them were two manly-looking lieutenants and sev- 
eral midshipmen, who had not yet lost the beauty 
and bloom of youth, and but a little while before 
had luxuriated in all the buoyancy and energy of 
robust health and joyful hopes. The common 
sailors and their superiors lay around promiscu- 
ously and unheeded amidst the groans of the 
wounded. The survivors, who were unhurt, de- 



The White Sulphur, Twenty-five Years Since 127 

ported themselves with the dignity and gravity 
which became them in their misfortunes. 

"After a slight examination, the vessel was found 
to be in an unmanageable wreck, which attested 
the skill of the victors, and the indomitable cour- 
age of the vanquished. At once the shouts of con- 
quest were silenced by the sympathies of a gen- 
erous humanity. Immediate steps were taken to save 
the persons and their property who were on board 
the sinking ship, which had already begun to settle. 
The pumps were kept going. Our boats as well 
as her own were gathered about her. The 
wounded, whose cries pierced every heart, were 
raised up and borne along by the rough sailors 
with all the gentle tenderness of mothers for their 
offspring. Each party spoke in a subdued and 
sorrowful tone. Those prisoners who came away, 
looked back upon the once proud barque in which 
they had marched over the mountain wave with 
unaffected and unrestrained grief. At last she 
went down suddenly and with a plunge — the dark 
blue waters closed over her, and she, with all her 
pale and lifeless tenants, was in the deep ocean 
buried. The last rays of the setting sun lingered 
on the far bounding sea. We then hoisted all sail 
and bore away from the scene of our glory." 

Before he closed, the countenance of the narra- 
tor was elated — the tones of his voice became deep, 



128 The White Sulphur Springs 

full and elevated. Both he and his auditory were 
moved by these affecting incidents. 

Week after week passed away. Anna's eye 
beamed with all its former brightness. Her bosom 
heaved and spread — even her stature grew, and 
she moved with alacrity. The current of her 
thoughts became full and smooth. All the ob- 
jects of nature around her — the rich verdure of 
the earth on which she trod — were clothed in their 
accustomed fascinations. She studied elaborately 
all the attractions of dress, and longed to meet 
the Lieutenant at the dance. For some time his 
attentions were free, cordial and devoted. But a 
gradual change came over him, and he delivered 
himself up to sadness and to gloom: a change 
which Anna accounted almost miraculous in a 
youth of such impetuous blood. Her keen per- 
ception quickly detected this unlooked-for revul- 
sion in his feelings. His manner was embarrassed 
and constrained, and even wore an air of timidity 
and irresolution. 

One evening about dusk the Lieutenant called. 
He seemed to have relapsed into a state of entire 
abstraction. After the usual salutations, he uttered 
not a word. At last Henrietta withdrew. Lifting 
up his chair, he seated himself near Anna — and, 
after a long pause, remarked: "When we first 
met at the White Sulphur my country was con-, 
tending with a powerful enemy. My commission 



The White Sulphur, Twenty-five Years Since 129 

had been given me at the earnest solicitation of a 
mother in humble circumstances — the wife of a 
brave and departed Revolutionary officer. It 
would have been impossible for me to abandon 
my post in a time of national danger, when honor 
was to be won at the cannon's mouth. Whilst on 
my visit to the Springs for the recovery of my 
health, a vehement affection took possession of me. 
I shuddered at the thought of any woman putting 
on a widow's weeds and mourning my premature 
fall, whilst she was yet in all the freshness of youth 
and beauty. I wrestled with my passion, and tore 
myself away, a bleeding victim, from the pres- 
ence of her who had enkindled it. Then I had 
nothing to offer her but my person and my sword; 
now, nothing but my person, my sword, and the 
approbation of my country for my humble public 
services." Taking from his bosom a small case, 
he observed, "This was executed at my request 
by the painter whom we saw at the White Sul- 
phur. From that hour to this, I have worn it 
next my heart. On each succeeding day I have 
gazed on it and have imprinted on it many a ferv- 
ent kiss." Anna trembled as she received the pres- 
ent. Perceiving, on opening it, that it contained a 
likeness of herself, she shrieked, threw her white 
arms around his neck — fell upon his bosom — 
thanked God from the inmost recesses of her soul, 
and sobbed aloud. 



VI 



JOURNAL OF A LADY AT THE WHITE SULPHUR 
DURING THE SEASON, OF THE YEAR 1 837 

Tuesday, July, 1837. 

IT is two weeks this day since I arrived here, 
and exactly three since leaving home, 
towards the end of June, where the flowers 
look brighter, and the birds sing sweeter with 
us than at any other time. I set out for this ter- 
restrial paradise — so it was described to me then — 
(and such I have almost found it to be) to renovate 
my health by drinking of its sparkling waters, 
and while away the summer hours in mirth and 
gladness, among its green hills and smiling val- 
leys. 

Our party being among the first arrivals, we 
obtained excellent accommodations, which by a 
little tact and management we have been enabled 
thus far to retain exclusively for ourselves. I can- 
not but contrast the present aspect here of every- 
thing, with that which presented itself on our first 
arrival. Then everything was green and beauti- 
ful, as it is now, but more quiet than our own 
homes. We spent all the morning in our cabin, 

130 



Journal of a Lady — Year l8jj 131 

looking from time to time with eager eyes towards 
the highroad in the hope of being blessed with 
the sight of some traveling carriage; and when 
the few who were here met on the walk in the 
afternoon, the first inquiry was, What friends are 
coming? When will they be here? Now all is 
life, bustle and enjoyment, and each day brings 
an accession to our company. It was but this 
moment that I saw Mr. Anderson lead the way 
to Carolina Row, followed by a carriage and four, 
filled with ladies; the gentlemen of the party fol- 
lowing on horseback. 

Scarcely have we got through the rides and ex- 
cursions of one day, ere new ones are proposed for 
the next. "Miss has never been to Lewis- 
burg, or Miss has never seen the cascade, 

or would like to see it again. We must have a 
ride over to the Sweet Springs; we can dine at 
Crow's on the way back, and then be in time for 
the ball." 

Such is the usual preface of conversation among 
a circle of some twenty persons. But there's the 

dinner bell, and as I saw pretty Mrs. K 's 

maid run by just now with the curling tongs, I 
must stop writing in order to give a look at my 
own coiffure, or I shall not be in time to wit- 
ness the grand entree into the dining-hall. 

After dinner I sauntered with the rest of the 
world into the ballroom, which is the only gen- 



132 The White Sulphur Springs 

eral parlor here. Meeting with the J 's, we 

sat down and had a long chat of more than an 
hour. As they expressed a wish, on leaving the 
room, to pay a visit in Baltimore Row, I accom- 
panied them. We found the door closed, which 
signifies here, "not at home." We wrote our names 
and the hour of calling on one of the pillars of 
the piazza, and retraced our steps home. If we 
had had cards with us, it would have been in ac- 
cordance with true etiquette to have placed them 
under the door. On reaching my room, I wrote 

a long letter to S entreating her to come and 

join us here. After tea I merely took two or three 
turns on the walk, and then came up to seal my 
letter for the mail, and make ready for the ball; 
which, by the bye, was the gayest and brightest 
we have had. "Murray" played with spirit, and 
we encouraged him by dancing until half-past ten 
— it was eleven before we had talked the day 
over, and as it is now some time after, I very cheer- 
fully say good night. 

Thursday, . 



I had just fallen asleep last night when I was 
awakened by the sound of music. I listened. It 
came nearer and nearer, and I discovered it was 
the band serenading. At length they stopped be- 
neath our window for half an hour, and then again 
passed on, stopping occasionally on their way, 




tt< 



Journal of a Lady — Year 1 8 37 133 

until the sounds were completely lost in the dis- 
tance. Serenades are of nightly occurrence here. 
About three nights since, I listened to some of the 
sweetest music I had ever heard, from a guitar, a 
flute and three voices. 

Apropos to serenades, I was much amused to- 
day by an anecdote related to me by a lady who 
had an active part in the scene. It seems that 
she and her cousin, a young lady of much ro- 
mance and spirit, were here last summer, and the 
first among those who were most courted and 
admired. Two gentlemen, friends of theirs, were 
to leave the springs next morning, and from some 
intimation given during the day, the ladies un- 
derstood that they were to receive that evening a 
farewell serenade. 

"My cousin," continued she, "determined to re- 
ward them and proposed forming wreaths of flow- 
ers to be lowered to them at the conclusion of 
their song. After some little persuasion, I as- 
sented to the plan, and that day was spent in 
gathering the brightest flowers, and twining them 
with the dark green leaves of the laurel which 
grows in such abundance here into crowns for the 
expected troubadours. Night came, and about an 
hour after we had retired, we heard the antici- 
pated sounds beneath the window; we immediately 
rose and, attaching strings of ribbon to the wreaths, 
we softly raised the sash and at the conclusion 



134 The White Sulphur Springs 

of the first song lowered them to our friends be- 
low. There was a slight pause and then some 
whispering among the musicians as though they 
were consulting how they might best reward so 
flattering a return of their compliment to us, so 
we thought at least, and were confirmed in this 
opinion by their singing in conclusion one of our 
favorite songs. 

"We retired in high spirits at what we con- 
sidered the success of our little frolic. In the 
morning, on looking from the window as usual, 
to ascertain the state of the weather, what was 
our consternation at beholding withered and neg- 
lected on the ground the wreaths that we fondly 
imagined were on the road to the Warm Springs 
with the friends for whom they were intended and 
treasured by them as precious remembrances of 
ourselves. It so happened that the night had been 
dark, and we had been so cautious in our move- 
ments, that we were neither heard nor our offer- 
ings received. We instantly sent down our maid 
to rescue them from observation and could but 
laugh at the failure of a scheme, the supposed 
success of which had given us so much satisfac- 
tion the night before." 

Saturday, . 



About six o'clock this evening, a gay party of 
us were on our way to Briar-field, the residence 



Journal of a Lady — Year 1 837 135 

of Mrs. B , about two miles from the 

springs, in the direction of Lewisburg, where we 
were invited to spend the evening, or as they say 

here, to a tea-drinking. In our rides to L , 

the house which stands back from the road had 
frequently been pointed out, when seen in glimpses 
through the trees, as the dwelling of one of the 
most amiable of ladies, and one who was exceed- 
ingly fond of the society of young people, and 
always taking pleasure in contributing all in her 
power, in any way, to their happiness or amuse- 
ment. 

Upon our arrival, we found quite a sociable 
number had preceded us, and we were very cor- 
dially received by the kind hostess. Tea was 
handed, and the waiters were filled with such a 
profusion of good things, and creams, and warm 
pound-cake, that we forgot, for a while, in our 
delight, that we were more than three hundred 
miles from home in the mountains, but imagined 
ourselves on an evening visit to a country seat 
near the city. 

After tea, leaving the elder portion of the com- 
pany to amuse themselves as they pleased, we 
young people strolled into the garden, which may 
be easily perceived, from its flourishing condition, 
to be under the peculiar care of its mistress. The 
only spot I have seen in the neighborhood where 
flowers are cultivated. 



136 The White Sulphur Springs 

The garden is extensively laid out, abounding 
in fruit trees, and currants and raspberries. A 
small arbor is covered with the multiflora rose 
and honey-suckle, and the borders of the walks 
are lined with the prettiest flowers, pinks, mi- 
gnonette, heartsease, ambrosias, and stork jellies — 
all reminding us so much of our sweet garden 
at home. 

The evening was beautifully clear and bright, 
but the dew beginning to fall, we were soon called 
into the house by our prudent friends, to the little 
vexation, no doubt, of some who were wandering 
off alone, to the less frequented paths of the garden, 
endeavoring, perchance, to tell their feelings in 
flowers, and drinking sentiment from tulip-cups 
and blushing rosebuds. Soon after our return 
to the house, we took leave of our amiable hostess, 
and returned to decorate our heads for the ball 
from the many pretty bouquets she had so gener- 
ously presented us. 

Monday, . 



We are four in our cabin; C. and I. occupying 
one room, and having our front room to receive 
visitors, and our piazza for our music saloon. 
We are much better off than many of our ac- 
quaintances in Virginia Row, where they have but 
two apartments in each cabin. 

We attended divine service on Sunday, in the 




ft 



u 



ft, 



Journal of a Lady — Year l8jy 137 

ballroom, at eleven o'clock. There is no regular 
minister here, but generally some one is present to 
officiate on each Sabbath. The day is very re- 
ligiously observed, more so than at most of the 
northern watering places, which is saying a good 
deal for the high tone and moral sense of the 
company, and in the midst of all our pleasures 
there is no little to be admired at it. 

Wanting some barege for veils this morning, C. 
and I went over to the store, which is kept in 
the corner of Virginia Row. When we entered, 
we found the only person in attendance, then as- 
sisting a lady in trying a pair of gloves on a lit- 
tle boy of five years old, who persisted most per- 
tinaciously in thrusting his four fingers into that 
part intended for his thumb alone, so we had time 
to look about us at the many fanciful things which 
were arranged rather promiscuously on the 
shelves: dry goods, buttons, nails, laces, silks, shoes, 
artificial flowers, perfumery, jewelry, and, in short, 
everything which could be wanted or asked for 
was to be had. Suspended from the ceiling, were 
tin buckets, hosiery, baskets, stage whips and 
horns, and numerous other trifles. The person 
who waited on us was more than civil, and find- 
ing what we wanted we came away much satisfied. 

In the porch were a pair of scales, where we 
found a young lady affecting the delicate and in- 
teresting, quite shocked to find that she weighed 



138 The White Sulphur Springs 

a hundred pounds. What must have been her 
contempt for me, who weigh one hundred and 
twenty-three? However, I am told a young lady 
may weigh 126 without exceeding the allowed 
compliment of embonpoint beauty. 

After dinner we heard some delightful music at 
the ballroom, both vocal and instrumental, from 

Mrs. and her sister, Miss ; it was so 

attractive that we remained there for some hours. 

Wednesday, — . 
We were invited to a lunch at the Colonnade 
this morning. We met there a very agreeable com- 
pany of some dozen ladies and gentlemen; the 
refreshments were fine, and with much wit and 
good humor the two hours went off very pleas- 
antly. The ball in the evening was quite gay; the 
order of the dance is two cotillions, then a waltz, 
the Spanish dance, or Virginia reel, being gen- 
erally the finale; and to-night, for the first time, 
we had the German cotillion. One is often amused 
at the variety of style of dancing with different 
persons. We have every grade exhibited, from 
the ancient pigeon wing, and bobbing up and down 
of the country squire and miss, to the slide, or 
dignified walking through, of the more eastern 
Belle and Beau. I don't know exactly what our 
style can be called, but very likely it is thought 
outre by those who prefer their own. 




Colonade Row 



Facing page 138 



Journal of a Lady — Year 1 837 139 

There is one gentleman here from Baltimore, 
who in defiance of his silver-tinged locks, seems- 
to enjoy his dance as much as the youngest among 
the company; he scorns the modern introduction 
of boots (and there I think him right), and seems 
to point the toe of his well-polished pump with 
peculiar emphasis where the heel of some reck- 
less Wellington passes before him. 

It is impossible not to meet with some eccen- 
tricities and oddities of dress among every com- 
pany gathered at a watering place; still I do 
wish frock coats were entirely banished from the 
ballroom, and gloves more generally introduced. 
In a company, for the most part so select as that 
now here, the improprieties in dress above al- 
luded to strike one the more glaringly. 

Thursday, August — . 

This is the commencement of August, called the 
gay month, and persons are flocking here from 
all quarters; more than fifty each day have to be 
denied admittance. The southerners, from the 
lower counties of Virginia and elsewhere con- 
tinue to arrive, most of them have cabins pro- 
vided, and their coming is anticipated. 

After breakfast this morning, we returned to 
our cabins, and remained on the piazza chatting 
with our neighbors, and watching the departure 
of the gentlemen for the hunt; this is the begin- 



140 The White Sulphur Springs 

ning of the hunting season, and their preparations 
are all new to us. 

After reading the letters from home, I took my 
work and sat all the morning with dear Mrs. 

, who is, without exception, one of the most 

charming old ladies I have ever met with ; I found 
her conversation so instructive and interesting, 
that I remained with her until the appearance of 
the cake man reminded me that it was after 
twelve. This person is of no little importance 
here; he carries a large wooden tray, suspended 
from his shoulders by a leather strap, and on it 
is scattered in confusion cakes and crackers and 
candies ; he makes his rounds every day about 
noon, when having nothing to do, we have time 
to feel hungry — he ever meets with a ready wel- 
come. 

At dinner every one was very gay. The gen- 
tlemen were in fine spirits at the success of their 
morning expedition, having brought in two fine 
deer, one of them said to have been killed by 
Col. H , of Carolina, who is invariably suc- 
cessful. 

After dinner I went into the ballroom to pro- 
cure from the leader of the band a very beautiful 
waltz that is quite a favorite here, and as it was 
very warm returned home, and spent the greater 
part of the afternoon in copying it. At sundown, 
Mrs. called in her barouche with her niece 



Journal of a Lady — Year l8jy 141 

and Mr. and asked me to ride. I readily- 
acceded to her proposal, and the evening being 
very fine we drove as far as the Greenbrier bridge, 
and from being inspired by the scenery, I sup- 
pose, we entered all of us into a very sentimental 
conversation. We staid out so late, that on our 
return we found tea was over, and all of the walks 
and lawns lined with the gay and happy. The 
table was not entirely cleared, however, and we 
managed to have our supper very comfortably. 
We strolled round afterwards, to one of the white- 
cottages, and found a laughing party engaged at 
cards, playing old maid; we remained until one 
of us was left with the queen, but had no patience 
to stay any longer. 

The ball was more brilliant than last evening, 
and when we left it, the room was shining so 
brightly, and the night altogether so fine, that 
a party of us walked to the spring, to take our last 
glass of water there, instead of having it brought 
to us as usual. 

The President arrived last evening, Saturday, 

•. A large party of gentlemen went out in 

carriages and on horseback to meet him, and wel- 
come him to the White Sulphur. The cavalcade 
came in about dark, in a cloud of dust. We have 
had no rain here for several weeks. The ball, it 
is thought, will be uncommonly attractive to- 
night, so many distinguished persons having ar- 



142 The White Sulphur Springs 

rived, and we have been practicing the German 
cotillion and Spanish dance for the last two days, 
to make a sensation to-night. Our waltzing com- 
pany is on the increase; we have several now 
from New York, Baltimore, Washington and 
Richmond. 

Tuesday, . 

I find a blank space of two days in my jour- 
nal. We have been talking over the events and 
pleasures of last night. The President was there, 
and a great many new comers. The ladies were 
more dressed than ordinary, and the music played 
remarkably well. We also had pretty bouquets 
sent us during the evening, which we sported. 

We had the Spanish dance, introduced here, 
first by a gay party of Floridians, and we all ac- 
quitted ourselves very well. Gen. H led 

off with Mrs. . The company remained un- 
til after twelve o'clock. Miss , of Virginia, 

dropped a very costly bracelet in the walk on Sun- 
day evening — it was returned to her the same 
night, by a gentleman, with the following lines 
anonymously: 

Fair lady! there ne'er was a pleasure like mine — 
That this bracelet which dropped from an arm so 

divine, 
Should by chance, so unlook'd for, have fallen to 

me, 
To restore the bright treasure uninjured to thee. 



Journal of a Lady — Year 1837 T 43 

It must have been sever'd, unlinked from its tie, 
By some throb of affection as tremulously 
From the deep spring, the heart, it unresistingly stole, 
And buoyantly broke from the passion's control. 

But be that as it may, I fondly shall treasure 
The time, and that moment of joy and of pleasure, 
When in transport of feeling, delighted I pressed, 
This pretty bijou, you so oft have caressed. 

Wednesday, . 

We remained at home this evening, and received 
a great many visitors. C. keeps a list of all who 
call during the day. We have had a discussion 
with several gentlemen as to the exact height of 
the Venus de Medici, the standard for all beauties; 
there was much differing on the subject: Mr. 

said her height was four feet two inches, 

and Mr. was certain she was five feet four, 

while Mr. , who had seen the original at 

Florence, denied her being four foot nine inches, 
in the position she stands. It was well perhaps 
that the point was undecided, as several ladies 
who were present, can now liken themselves to 
the Venus in stature. 

We are to have a musical party this evening — 
a concert! and have been very busy all the after- 
noon in arranging and enlarging our drawing- 



144 The White Sulphur Springs 

room. We expect something of a squeeze. The 
gentlemen will have to occupy the piazza, and we 
must borrow all of our neighbor's chairs. 



Thursday, 



Our soiree musicale went off delightfully last 
evening, every one came we expected, and we had 

some very fine music. Mrs. , of Nashville, 

sang the "Banks of Ganges" with the guitar, and 

accompanied by Mr. , with his voice and 

violin, and the sweet little song of "My Nor- 
mandy." Mrs. , of Mobile, also charmed 

us with some pretty Spanish airs on the guitar. 

We have set the fashion, and concerts are to 

be the rage. Mrs. promises one to-morrow 

evening at the veranda, and Miss will have 

one next week at the colonnade. We must so ar- 
range it as not to interfere with the ball. 

Friday, 



Captain Marryat, the celebrated novelist, has 
been here for some days. We had a long con- 
versation yesterday upon many pleasant topics, 
and I was agreeably disappointed from what had 
been said of his rough manners and address. He 
is perhaps not very prepossessing in his appear- 
ance at first, being a thick-set, gruff-looking man, 
and having a reserved look to a stranger; but this 



Journal of a Lady — Year 183J 145 

soon wears off on an acquaintance, and his eye 
has a sparkle of life and humor: and he has much 
anecdote. 

In speaking yesterday, of one of the great poets 
of England of the present day, he said it was some- 
what curious that the person to whom he went 
to school in his young days, and by whom he had 
been flogged so often, that after he had become 
the editor of the Metropolitan he should then 
have had the pleasure of paying him back in coin, 
at the rate of so many guineas for each flagella- 
tion. 

The phrenologists here have been to request an 
examination of his head. He showed us the chart: 
Ideality, very large — Humor, large — Wit, very 
little. It also makes him out a very modest and 
diffident man, which the captain says is about the 
only point on which the disciples of Combe agree 
in relation to him. 

He says he never commenced writing, for pub- 
lication, until as late as 1829. He has written with 
great rapidity since. We should infer, from his 
conversation, that he prefers the "King's Own" to 
most of his works, and after that the "Pacha of 
Many Tales." 

He is writing a book on America. I hope he 
will speak well of our party, and not forget the 
ladies he danced with at White Sulphur. 



146 The White Sulphur Springs 

It rained during part of this morning, which 
made the ground so wet as to oblige us not only to 
breakfast, but dine and sup in our cabin. It is 
amusing, such a day as this, to watch the waiters 
going in every direction, carrying the various 
meals to the different cabins. 

Mrs. L and her daughter, being next 

door neighbors, came in to dine with us, and Mr. 

P and several gentlemen joined us at tea 

on the porch. We sat until after ten o'clock, lis- 
tening to the news of the day, and were about 

retiring when the sound of Mr. 's guitar, 

in Paradise Row, induced us to remain a while, to 
listen to its delightful tones, which he can so 
well draw out. 

"Were it some hours later," said B , "I 

should imagine the music proceeded from the lute 
of the White Phantom." He was instantly called 
upon to explain. "Do you not know," replied he, 
"that every dark night, as the clock strikes twelve, 
there is to be seen a phantom lady in white, on 
the hill behind Paradise Row, who walks slowly 
round the brow of it, singing to a silver lute, some- 
times a guitar, and should any serenader protract 
his song until that late hour, she immediately 
joins him in his hymn to beauty. 

"This is firmly believed, I assure you," con- 
tinued he, "by many persons near here, and in- 
deed I thought one night I had the fortune to 




ft, 



Journal of a Lady — Year 1 8 37 i/\.J 

behold her, but on nearer approach I discovered 
what I took to be her flowing robe was only a 
glancing moonbeam, and the sound of her lute was 
only the echo of my own instrument; neverthe- 
less, you must not doubt her existence." We prom- 
ised to keep a good lookout for the white lady, 
and bade our company good-night. 

THE PHANTOM OF PARADISE ROW 1 

Lady in white ! 

Who walk'st at night, 
Alone at the dreary hour, 

Come tell to me, 

If thou art she, 
Who haunts the wood and bower. 

"Yes, I am she, 
Who wanders free, 
O'er the hills of Paradise; 

iThe story of the Lady in White, the Ghost of Paradise Row, is 
one which originated from a tragedy that occurred about 1820. In 
the early days the incident was well known, but the practical de- 
struction of the family by the war and its incidents made the 
occurrence a tradition rather than a fact. Some time ago the writer 
met the great-granddaughter of one of the principals in the tragedy, 
who told him generally the story and informed him that her grand- 
mother knew all the actual facts. Calling on her grandmother, whom 
the ever-reaching hands were even then caressing, the dear old lady 
gave me all the details of the long forgotten tragedy, whose memory 
haunts Paradise. I asked her permission to publish the facts, which 
seemed not to be known to any other persons alive; but alas! after 
giving me the most interesting story she sealed my lips until other 
times. — W. A. M. 



148 The White Sulphur Springs 

And vigil keeps, 
While beauty sleeps, 
And watch till darkness flies. 

I once was gay, 

I loved the day, 
But doom'd by a fairy's power, 

When the moon is dull, 

By the beautiful, 
I roam at the midnight hour. 

I music bring, 

And often fling 
Leaves of the sweetest roses, 

Where beauty lies, 

With half closed eyes, 
And modestly reposes. 

Lady in white ! 

Thy words are bright, 
Come bring thy music and flowers, 

Come wander here, 

From year to year, 
And rest in our woods and bowers. 

Monday, . 

We went to Lover's Retreat, this evening, for 
the first time. C. and I, with two gentlemen, who 
called for us at the appointed time, five o'clock. 
Upon going to the door, we were a little surprised 

to know that we were to walk, but Mr. said 

that it would spoil the poetry of the expedition if 



Journal of a Lady — Year l8jy 149 

we were to ride, and, besides, the place was un- 
approachable in a carriage; so we started, rambled 
through the woods for more than two miles over 
bramble and briar, and at last came to this much- 
celebrated spot, in a very lonely part of the wood, 
which had been the scene of so many courtships, 
and romantic adventures; which had been written 
in verse, and metered in song. We sat down by 
the side of the large rock, where many had whis- 
pered before us, and tried to feel very sentimental. 

The trees in our immediate presence were 
carved with names and initials, some of which the 
bark had overgrown, and many unintelligible. 
One of the gentlemen with us was very conversant 
with all the technicalities of the spot, having been 
here frequently before; and having as many in- 
teresting descriptions of the persons who had 
figured here at various times, with many amusing 
details. 

He asked us if we had never heard the story 
of the Count; he said it was a romance in real life 
— a story of every day — and that he had been an 
eye-witness to many of the leading incidents of the 
drama. 

"About four years ago," continued he, "there 
came to the White Sulphur, during the most 
fashionable season, an elderly lady and her daugh- 
ter, from the north. The daughter was reputed 
wealthy, too wealthy for men of moderate pre- 



150 The White Sulphur Springs 

tensions to make their advances, and none sought 
an introduction; and even if they wished it, who 
knew them? They never came to the ballroom, 
and their only escort appeared to be a foreign 
Count — he attended them to their meals, and in 
their walks; and while in public his attention was 
most marked to the mother, in the sylvan shades 
it was said he was most fascinated with the young 
lady. 

"A gayer company of some four hundred had 
never perhaps assembled than was at the White 
Sulphur during the summer of 183 — . The belles 
were many and beautiful, the balls were crowded, 
and the green lawn each evening presented a fairy 
scene, in groups of ladies and gentlemen, straying 
like gypsying parties through the walks and 
groves, and the delightful interchanges of visits 
from one bright cottage to another, rendered a 
month of such enjoyment an event of real pleasure 
in the life of a visitor. Almost the entire com- 
pany seemed, in their social intercourse, as though 
they all belonged to the same household, or had' 
been acquainted for years. 

"There were three visitors, two ladies and the 
Count, who kept aloof, and had no social inter- 
mingling with the rest. They had spent over a 
fortnight at the Springs without making scarcely 
a single acquaintance. Conduct so marked could 
not fail in such a company to draw forth remarks 



Journal of a Lady — Year l8jy 151 

and surmises. The Count was still assiduous in 
his attention to the daughter. They would stroll 
to 'Lover's Retreat' in the evening and sing duets 
over the piano when no one was present. 

"It was rumored they were engaged, and many 
said that while the mother liked the Count for 
his title, the Count courted the daughter for her 
wealth. 

"They had been here about three weeks, when 
the young lady, one evening, made her first ap- 
pearance in the ballroom. Its attractions had 
been thrown out to her by a gentleman who, by 
some means, had made her acquaintance, and she 
had been prevailed on to attend. She was much 
admired for her figure and grace, and she danced 
and enjoyed herself very much. Many gentlemen 
claimed an introduction; she was courted, and 
surrounded — she became a Belle. Many gallants 
were in her train next day, while the poor Count 
was evidently thrown in the background. 

"It was at this time" (continued B.), "that I be- 
came acquainted with the Count, and found him 
a very clever person; he was evidently very much 
in love, and almost distracted at the growing cool- 
ness of the lady. 

"It was said that she never really encouraged 
his attentions, and that but for the mother she 
would have avoided a frequent intercourse, and 



152 The White Sulphur Springs 

knowing no one at the time she was somewhat de- 
pendent on him. 

"A few weeks went by, the lady still a Belle, and 
the Count evidently neglected. 

"The season passed, and the party left the 
Springs. On their arrival at Philadelphia, at a 
boarding house, whither the Count followed (it 
was at a boarding house where he had first seen 
her) — The lady wrote him a letter, forbidding 
his further visits or attentions. The next morning 
the Count was dead — he had taken laudanum on 
the night he received the letter discarding him, 
and had dreamed away existence." 

Nothing in his life 
Became him like the leaving it: he died 
As one that had been studied in his death 
To throw away the dearest thing he owned, 
As 'twere a careless trifle. 

Wednesday, . 



Our kind friend, Mr. , has been to visit 

us this morning, bringing with him his rods and 
fishing tackle, and leaving for us a basket of lit- 
tle delicacies which he had caught in the creek. 
He says he came to the Springs determined to en- 
joy himself in his own way, and he spends his 
mornings in rambling and angling, and collecting 
shells and fossils from the banks of the many 






Journal of a Lady — Year 1837 153 

streams, and exploring the curiosities of the neigh- 
borhood. He says there are glades, and tumbling 
cataracts, and cascades, and shady retreats all 
around, that none of us gay people ever visit or 
hear of, and that on the top of one of the moun- 
tains directly over us is a glassy lake where the 
wild deer come to drink at all hours. He visits 
the old men in the mountains, some of them the 
original settlers, who give him the history of the 
country, and he learns from them many curious 
stories. 

He has been prevailing on us to accompany him 
in one of his morning tours, and gather wild flow- 
ers, and has promised C. to make her a 

collection of pretty butterflies. He says he hears 
that we are great Belles, and while other gen- 
tlemen dance with us, he'll fish for us. He tells 
us, moreover, that the White Sulphur water is 
very serviceable to the teeth, and that the fre- 
quent use of it has a wonderful effect in improv- 
ing the complexion. 

Friday, . 



A traveling museum has been in the neighbor- 
hood for some days, which a great many have 
been to see. This evening, when the company had 

gone to tea, C. and I and Aunt, and Mr. 

went to make it a visit, feeling inclined for novelty 
in any shape. There were two large wagons 



154 The White Sulphur Springs 

painted red, and joined together, making two 
apartments, where the curiosities were displayed 
in their grotesque order. It was Peale's Mu- 
seum in miniature, for they appeared to have a lit- 
tle of everything curious, wolves, bears, wax 
figures, Indian dresses and arrows, a large croco- 
dile, shells, minerals, and many strings of rattles. 

Among the many beautifully prepared birds 
was a large white Albatross, of rare size, the first 
we had ever seen. The poet Coleridge has im- 
mortalized this bird, and we looked upon it with 
more interest than anything in the collection. The 
keeper gave us most glowing and fancy descrip- 
tions of all the wonders of his cabinet. One of 
the wax figures represented Alexander Selkirk, 
and he assured us that the rusty pistol in his 
hand was the very same which this celebrated per- 
sonage had used while in solitude on the island. 

We left the Museum, and continued our stroll 
to the top of the hill, near the Colonnade, where 
we joined the promenaders, who had returned 
from tea, and were enjoying the fine view which 
is here had at sunset. 

We came home, where C. found a 

bouquet filled with ambrosia and mignonette, 
which had been sent to her, and which determined 
her to go to the ball this evening; although to- 
morrow will be the day of the great picnic. 



Journal of a Lady — Year l8jj 155 

LINES TO THE ALBATROSS 

Bird of the light and snowy wing! 

Fair harbinger of cheer! — 
Whither now, from thy wandering, 

Say, Albatross! why here? 

Thy home is in the far-off isles, 

Beyond the southern sea, 
In lands where summer never smiles; 

No visitant but thee. 

Where hast thou been? — what hast thou seen? 

In crossing o'er the main, 
W r hen floating like a fairy queen, 

Above the winds and rain. 

W T here didst thou live? — where is thy mate? 

What sailor captured thee? 
While thou wert in the air elate, 

With pinions broad and free. 

I follow thee, thro' ether sky, 

I am with thee and thine; 
I see thee from the dolphin fly, 

And leave the fisher's line. 

I live with thee — thro' many days 

Of storm and tempest loud, — 
And hear thee sing thy evening lays 

Above the flapping shroud. 



156 The White Sulphur Springs 

I hear thy scream of the wildest note, — 

A rifted wreck goes by; 
Thy dirge is o'er a lifeless boat, 

The ocean gives a sigh. 

Proud bird! thou hast been sailing long 

All over sea and shore, 
But none again will hear thy song, 

Thy wing will tire no more. 

What brought thee death I do not know, 

But Albatross, I fear 
It reach'd thee from some whizzing bow 

Of ancient Mariner. 

Monday, . 

This morning being the one fixed on for the 
great picnic, which had been in agitation for the 
last week, many an anxious eye was turned towards 
the sky to ascertain if it was favorable to our 
wishes and the proposed amusement of the day. 
All above gave promise of the full enjoyment, 
hoped for below. Contrary to the usual custom, 
there was no stopping after breakfast to chat in 
the ballroom, nor loitering at the Spring or on 
the walk, but all (the ladies) hastily retreated 
to their cabins to change their morning costume, 
and decide upon one more becoming the day's ex- 
cursion. Dresses, that had long been imprisoned 
in the imperial, were now brought out to do honor 



Journal of a Lady — Year 1 8 J 1 / 157 

to the occasion. As each lady had been requested 
to don her favorite color, no little hesitation ensued 
as to the adoption of blue, pink, green, etc. Even 

good old Mrs. entered into the excitement, 

and emancipated from the bandbox a new blond 
cap that had been carefully put by in reservation 
for the President's reception. 

We had the pleasure of seeing depart at an 
early hour the wagon, containing the numerous 
refreshments, and about ten o'clock the sound of 
many carriages approaching the different rows to 
receive their destined inmates — the cries of chil- 
dren at being left behind — the calling of mamas 
for their daughters, who having been ready for 
the last half-hour, were now making sure, at their 
glasses, of their bonnets being tied, with a due re- 
gard to a becoming inclination to their left side, 
their ringlets being just enough out of curl to look 
interesting; and the merry laugh of these as, re- 
turning with renewed confidence, they jumped 
gayly into the carriage, family barouche — or more 
exclusive buggy, all announced the signal of de- 
parture, and in obedience to its call, we were every 
one on our way to the scene of enchantment by 
eleven o'clock. 

Every description of vehicle on the place was 
put in requisition; even an old sleigh was allowed 
to remain stationary only because wheels could not 
be found to attach to it. We followed the Lewis- 



158 The White Sulphur Springs 

burg road, as far as Greenbriar mountain, then 
diverging suddenly, we found ourselves free from 
dust, and pursuing a winding road through the 
woods; at about twelve o'clock we were brought 
within a quarter of a mile of our destination; this 
last part of our jaunt we were to make on foot, 
much to the distress of Miss Lilly, who never hav- 
ing been on a picnic in the mountains, picturing 
to herself a smooth turf and a dance on the green, 
had ventured out in satin shoes, which were but 
little calculated to encounter the stones, logs, and 
brambles which we were now crossing at every 
step. 

The spot selected for our rendezvous was a large 
green, some yards in extent, enclosed on one side 
by abrupt and overhanging rocks at whose base 
bubbled a clear and beautiful spring, and pre- 
cluded from the road by rows of thick branching 
trees. Around were thrown immense logs of trees, 
which were to serve us as seats, and the wild rose 
and honeysuckle were growing in the vicinity. 

A table of rude planks had been hastily put to- 
gether on which the servants were busily employed 
in laying the cloth, and making the necessary 
preparations for our dejeuner a la forchette. And 
as an hour would elapse before their arrange- 
ments would be completed, the merriest of us de- 
termined to employ our time on a voyage of dis- 
covery through the neighboring woods. 



Journal of a Lady — Year l8jy 159 

We wandered for half an hour, penetrating the 
darkest and most romantic looking glades, and 
making bouquets and wreaths of the wild flowers. 
Our progress at one time was somewhat retarded 
by a broad stream, which required no little ac- 
tivity to clear. Miss J being somewhat 

timid, Mr. gallantly caught her in his arms 

and bore her across, amid the bravos of the gen- 
tlemen, and the approving smiles of the ladies. 

Upon our return, we found the rest of the com- 
pany in high glee, and awaiting our reappearance. 
The collation had by this time been spread, and 
very soon the champagne was circulating, and 
merriment prevailed, while the band of music, 
stationed in the trees at a little distance, played 
their sweetest tunes, though their sounds were 
nearly lost in the peals of our own laughter and 
delight. Chairs being scarce, many preferred tak- 
ing their cold chicken tete-a-tete on a log, or form- 
ing a partie carree on some neighboring stumps 
made comfortable seats, by the gentlemen convert- 
ing their cloaks into cushions. Mr. , of 

Virginia, sung his charming songs, accompanied 
by his guitar, his example was followed by sev- 
eral of the company, ladies and gentlemen, and 
four hours went by gaily and swiftly. 

The younger portion were somewhat startled 
at being told that it was time to go. Some one 
of the party had a London paper, printed in gold 



160 The White Sulphur Springs 

letters, giving an account of the late coronation, 
and before we departed, at the suggestion of Mr. 

, we all drank, in champagne, the health of 

Queen Victoria! 

We arrived at the Springs in fine time for the 
ball, which passed off in uncommon brilliancy. 
Miss Lilly's satin slipper came into play, with 
much more effect than in our morning's ramble, 
and she enjoyed her dance to the utmost, though 
it was not on a green turf, and after a shepherd's 
pipe. 

Tuesday, . 

The picnic of yesterday, and the ball of last 
night, have been all the talk to-day. The ball was 
uncommonly brilliant and the dancers were gay 

and spirited. The L 's were to have left 

this morning and this was their farewell ball; we 
lose at their departure some of our most esteemed 
acquaintances, who have joined with us in all 
sports for the last six weeks. This is one of the 
horrors of a watering place; the parting with 
friends with whom we have been thrown together 
in so many intimate ways during the season, and 
friendships thus formed by persons who are 
strangers on their first meeting, are generally of 
the most agreeable and endearing kind, and often 
the most lasting. 

We have had much of the scene of the last night 



Journal of a Lady — Year 183J 161 

before us, in our cabin this morning, from the 
amusing descriptions of persons and things, by 

P . He is a great caricaturist, but is very 

good natured. This is a talent which is entertain- 
ing at times, when not too far indulged in, or too 
much encouraged. He says there was no room 
for him to dance, so he took his station by the 
piano as an observer. 

He described all the elderly ladies seated 
round the room on the settees, with their blond 
caps, giving countenance to the dance, and with 
double view of engaging the attention of a dis- 
tinguished Bachelor. The young women who 
stand in each recess in groups, knowing no part- 
ner, and not dancing, he styles as wall-flowers. He 
decries most vehemently against gentlemen carry- 
ing their hats in the cotillion, as a mark of in- 
difference to their partners and the other dancers. 
And he says that the country beaus who appear 
with their black stocks and big shoes eat up all 
the refreshments. We never knew before that the 
entertainments which are so abundantly supplied 
at the balls are afforded by the liberality of the 
proprietors. Waiters are handed during all the 
evening with wine and other inviting nic-nac. 

In the great variety of dressing here, and in 
the eccentricities of taste, many ladies of very 
small stature wear feathers and turbans, which 
P describes as very unbecoming. 



162 The White Sulphur Springs 

He thinks it requires a woman of very fine figure 
and appearance to do credit to a feather or a tur- 
ban. In alluding to a young lady who persists 
in wearing a red spencer every night, he assured 
us that it was not the damsel's fault — that she was 
quite uneasy in her dress, and averse to coming 
to the balls, but that her grandma each evening 
after tea fastens on her red jacket, and bids her 
go forth to subdue and make her fortune. 

He told us our remarks on dress reminded him 
of having once been at an election ball at a tavern 
somewhere in Maryland, where he was introduced 
to the daughter of the host, a pretty, sprightly girl; 
that when he first saw her she was dressed in white, 
—and at the close of every two sets of cotillions 
she would disappear and reappear in a new color. 
He had seen her in white, pink, blue, green, and 
yellow, and upon complimenting her on her last 
appearance she remarked that "she had only made 
six changes, that there was one more to come, 
and then she would shine." 

Thursday, . 



We have been occupied this morning in press- 
ing flowers, many of them wild ones, which grow 
in such luxuriance here, and some of rare beauty. 
We will take them home, and they will serve to 
remind us at some future day of our present en- 
joyments and pleasures. 



Journal of a Lady — Year l8jy 163 

Some several years hence they will look as fresh 
as ever, and the rose leaves will have a sweeter 
perfume than now; while our faces may be with- 
ered and we no longer beautiful. Horrid 
thought, — but nevertheless 'tis true. Some of these 
flowers have been presents to us from friends we 
may never see again, and some we have gathered 
on sunny mornings in the woods, when all around 
us was bright and beautiful and gay hearts ac- 
companied us. 

They will remain here in their imprisoned 
sheets, silent, but speaking memorials of days that 
were fragrant to us. 

The most minute incidents of our life often lead 
to the most important results in our after deal- 
ings, and those whose lives are most crowded with 
strongly marked events can generally trace their 
origin to some trifling circumstances, hardly 
chronicled in the memory of the occurrence, and 
that would quickly fade from the mind if they 
were not really the starting links in the great chain 
of human events. 

How often has a kind look given the first im- 
pulse to the quick throb of love so ever ready to 
vibrate in the human heart. How often has a leaf 
been the mute though eloquent messenger of com- 
municating tender thoughts from heart to heart, 
and finally united in destiny, the giver and re- 
ceiver. How often too, alas! has the slightest in- 



164 The White Sulphur Springs 

cident separated forever those who, but for its oc- 
currence, would have united in one, like two sum- 
mer clouds; or moved in unison, like the meeting 
of two mountain streams. 

August 25th. 

The gentlemen have all gone to a great dinner 
given to the President, at the Greenbriar bridge 
to-day, and the ladies are left entirely to them- 
selves. I sent some English newspapers to Mrs. 

this morning, which we had received from 

New York. She is very fond of such reading, 
and though no one line escapes her vigilance, her 
memory is so short, or so little troubled with what 
she reads, that you may send her the same journal 
three times over, and she will peruse it as eagerly 
as at first. This is the last week in August, and 
many talk of leaving very soon. A large number 
of our acquaintances are only waiting for rain. 
Our Baltimore friends in Carolina Row leave us 
to-morrow. They will remain one week at the 
Sweet Springs, then to the Warm — the great gath- 
ering place at the close of the season, and then 
home. 

As the hour of parting and the close of the sea- 
son draw near, we all begin to feel a little melan- 
choly, but there must be an end to all pleasures, 
and why should we grieve, who have run through 
such a season of delight. 



Journal of a Lady — Year 183J 165 

Thanks to some Troubadours for a sweet sere- 
nade last night. 

September 4. 

More than two hundred persons, nearly one-half 
of our company, will leave here by Saturday, and 
in another week there will not perhaps be one 
hundred at the White Sulphur. We remain near 
two weeks longer. We understand from those 
who have experienced it, that the latter part of 
September is the most pleasant period in the moun- 
tains, and that during the month of October they 
have here the finest Indian Summer, which con- 
tinues until near Christmas. Most persons leave 
here too soon; on the general day of breaking up, 
the first Monday in September, all follow, save 
a few Southern families, and some of the lovers 
of nature. 

The President is at the Sweet Springs, and we 
hear the place is crowded with company. 

The ladies of our party, and a few of our friends 
are going on a serenading expedition to- 
night. . . . 

September 10. 

Another week gone, and nearly all our friends 

have departed, we have been taking leave during 

that time — each morning and evening with tears in 

our eyes of our many acquaintances. The S.'s were 



1 66 The White Sulphur Springs 

the last to leave us to-day; as their carriage drove 
round by Carolina Row the gentlemen and nearly 
all the company present waved their handker- 
chiefs, and they departed with universal regret. 
We all felt lonely for the remainder of the day. 

Several entire rows are closed; and the lawn 
is quite silent. Mr. Anderson is not so busy now; 
he has called at our cabin several times in the 
last few days to know if we wanted a chair or a 
second table. 

The ballroom is deserted; we formed but one 
cotillion last evening, and the musicians seemed 
quite out of spirits. 

The evenings are now most beautiful for walk- 
ing and driving. 

I took a solitary walk this evening to the top 
of the hill, near the Colonnade, and sat down, 
and thought of all that had passed since our first 
arrival at the Springs. It was at the time of sun- 
set, and the golden hues were tingeing the green 
trees of the mountains; the air was soft — the sky 
unclouded; singular feelings came over me, and 
I fell into a dreaming reverie. 

"Are there not times?" says Mrs. Jamieson— 
"when we turn with indifference from the finest 
picture or statue — the most improving book — the 
most amusing poem; and when the very common- 
est and everyday beauties of nature, a soft evening, 
a lovely landscape, the moon riding in her glory 



Journal of a Lady— Year 1837 167 

through a clouded sky, without forcing or asking 
our attention, sink into our hearts?" 

I thought of the many bright faces, and gay 
hearts, with whom we had mingled this summer 
—the loves, and the courtships,— and the pleasures 
of each passing day. All were now gone. The 
company had separated for their respective homes : 
Some had come, fresh, and alive for novelty and 
enjoyment, and had left delighted; some with 
hearts beating with love, and anxious for conquest, 
had gone away disappointed. Some who had been 
more fortunate in their feelings, and attachments; 
and in the attentions they had received, had left, 
pleased, and anticipating future happiness. . . . 

September 12. 

We have had a letter from the Warm Springs, 
the place is thronging with company, and they 
all knowing each other enjoy themselves exceed- 
ingly. The ballroom we hear is very brilliant, and 
all are in the finest spirits. 

They make excursions there, during the even- 
ing, to the Warm Spring Rock, to the top of which 
a Virginia lady once ascended on horseback; 
where they let the eye feast, and the soul drink 
in inspiration from the glorious beauties of the 
surrounding scenery. 

Near the Warm Springs also is a tumbling cat- 
aract of more than two hundred feet in fall, which 



1 68 The White Sulphur Springs 

but few have ever visited. We shall certainly 
go there on our return. 

We are to leave the White Sulphur to-morrow 
morning after breakfast. We have been round to 
take leave of all who are here. We have visited 
for the last time, this evening, each spot made dear 
to us from association; and taken a lingering fare- 
well look of them all. 

We looked in at the ballroom at nine o'clock. 
There were but four ladies present, and the music 
was endeavoring in vain to call forth the spirit of 
the dance. 

I am afraid to read to-night anything that I 
have heretofore written in my journal. I have 
been recreant to my intention; have put down but- 1 
half what I should; and neglected to insert many 
better things. Hark, there is music; 'tis a fare- 
well serenade beneath our window. They are play- 
ing and singing "Home, sweet home." 

No whisper! — hear 

That soft, sweet song, 
To me most dear. 

I've lov'd it long. 
It comes to me at the silent night, 
And it fills the soul with calm delight. 

I've heard that strain 
In times before, 



Journal of a Lady — Year 183J 169 

Breathe it again; 

I'll ask no more. 
My heart goes back — and I long to roam, 
In the garden paths of my own home. 

Thursday, September 13. 

We have breakfasted. Our carriages are at the 
door, and we will leave it in a few minutes. Our 
friends are in the piazza, come to say "Good-bye." 
These are the last lines I shall write in my jour- 
nal, and I have but one moment more. The maid 
who is strapping my trunk is almost in tears; and 
says she is sorry we are going. 

We are called. I must conclude. Farewell, 
White Sulphur. Farewell to thy scenes and thy 
pleasures, and thy oak shades, and thy beautiful 
fountain; farewell to Paradise Row, and the 
Gothic cottage, and the Colonnade. Good-bye, 
Mr. Anderson; good-bye, Davy, Duncan. Fare- 
well to you all ! 



VII 

THE WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS IN 1 839 1 

O tell me not of other skies ! 

The charms that foreign landscapes wear; 
Within our own bright borders rise — 

Hills and scenes as grand — as fair. 

THE White Sulphur Spring is in the 
county of Greenbrier, western Virginia, 
embosomed in a beautiful valley, where 
the mountains recede on a sudden, form- 
ing at first an irregular opening, which at a little 
distance widens into an extensive plain. The main 
road runs directly through the valley, passing on 
one side the enclosure containing the spring and 
the principal improvements; then crossing the 
long meadows and finally losing itself in the shade 
of the mountain at the further end. 

When we arrived at the springs the company 
were going to dinner, and all the walks and ave- 
nues leading from the different cabins were 
streaming with lively forms. A band of music 

1 Being extracts from The White Sulphur Papers, published in 1839 
by Mark Pencil, Esq., which are here reprinted without alteration of 
the original text. — W. A. M. 

170 




b. 



The White Sulphur Springs in l8jQ ijl 

was playing gayly in the portico of the dining hall ; 
and the whole face of things had the look of en- 
chantment. It seemed to us travelers, arriving at 
such a time, as if the inhabitants of some fairy isle 
were turning out to welcome the coming of ex- 
pected strangers. 

Our coach door was opened by Major Ander- 
son, who assigned to us our respective quarters. 
The ladies of the party were escorted to Paradise 
Row, and the single gentlemen were sent some to 
Spring Row and others to Wolf Row, which lat- 
ter place is reserved for bachelors, amateurs and 
philosophers. 

The grounds are laid out very prettily with 
gravel walks intersecting the green lawns, and 
the area is bordered on all sides by rows of neat 
cabins, some of them a very attractive appearance. 
The whole looks like a well laid out little town. 
A countryman from the west, not long since, in 
passing by the springs late in October, when the 
place was quite deserted, was heard to remark that 
he saw a great many houses in the village, but very 
few people. 

On the front square stands a large frame build- 
ing containing the dining-room, the public-room, 
and the offices. A portico runs the whole length of 
this edifice, forming a fine promenade in wet 
weather. Near to this in a similar building is 
the ballroom, with lodging apartments above. 



172 The White Sulphur Springs 

Immediately in front of these, on the acclivity 
of the hill, which overlooks the plain, and sweep- 
ing round before you, is Alabama Row, which ex- 
tends as far as the large center building, where it 
is joined by Paradise Row, which has a similar 
range. The cabins which form these ranges are 
all built of brick, with little piazzas in front. 
Carolina Row fronts the walk from the spring be- 
yond, which are Baltimore — Virginia — and Geor- 
gia Rows. There are besides many beautiful 
cabins on various parts of the premises, which are 
reserved for private families, who spend their 
summers here. 

A new row of six ornamental veranda cottages 
has lately been erected on a line with Paradise 
Row, and four large brick buildings on the hill 
beyond, the latter being occupied by Carolinians. 
The accommodations are at present sufficient for 
six hundred persons. A large hotel is about being 
erected in the course of another year, which will 
accommodate several hundred more. At present 
each family or party resides in a separate cabin, 
being lords of their own castles for the time being, 
which is perhaps the most preferable mode of 
living. 

The noble fountain is immediately in front of 
Spring Row, and can be seen from any part of 
the square. It is ornamented by a handsome dome, 
supported by twelve pillars, which is surmounted 



The White Sulphur Springs in l8jQ 173 

by a statue representing Hygeia. There are cir- 
cular seats beneath, and the area is roomy enough 
for near one hundred persons seated and standing. 

The water flows in an octagonal basin about 
three feet and a half in depth, and gushes from 
an aperture in the white rocks, which line the 
sides of the reservoir. It sparkles in the glass like 
liquid crystal, and it gives the frame of the in- 
valid new vigor at every draught. 

It has a very strong smell of sulphur, and at 
first is not so pleasant to the taste, but after a few 
days this is not perceptible by the visitor, and he 
becomes very fond of it, desiring no other bever- 
age. It cures almost every disease; for affections 
of the liver — and for dyspepsia of whatever kind 
it is peculiarly recommended. It produces the 
most enviable appetites — brings color to the cheek 
— exhilarates the spirits, and lengthens life. 

The stream from the spring is very copious, and 
supplies the bathhouses in the immediate vicinity. 
The old bathhouse has been removed within the 
last year, and a large and improved one, with 
dressing-rooms and other conveniences, has been 
erected on the same site. 

Thus much for the topography of the White 
Sulphur; we will leave the reader at the spring, 
promising to chronicle in coming chapters the 
amusements and pleasures of this delightful 
place. . . , 



174 The White Sulphur Springs 

The season at the White Sulphur commences 
early in June; the most fashionable period is from 
the middle of July till the second week in Sep- 
tember, and during the month of August the 
gaiety is at its height. 

It was now late in July, and the place was 
thronging with visitors; numbers daily not being 
able to gain admittance were obliged to quarter 
in the neighborhood, or turn off to some of the 
other springs, and there remain until they could 
be accommodated. 

The amusements here are various, and the days 
go by very rapidly to those who are determined 
to enjoy themselves. 

In the morning before breakfast the spring is 
the first resort by all who wish to drink the waters 
and exchange the salutations of the day. This is 
an exciting time, and for one hour the whole area 
around the spring is crowded with the old, the 
young, the gay, and the invalid. 

At eight o'clock comes breakfast, when .the ta- 
bles are plentifully supplied with the best bread 
ever baked, and all the other necessaries to antici- 
pate the finest appetites. 

After breakfast the company disperse in vari- 
ous ways — some to their cabins, to prepare for 
visitors, and for visiting — some to the drawing- 
room for music — some ride on horseback — some 
walk — parties are arranged for a dinner at Crow's 



The White Sulphur Springs in 183Q 17$ 

— a picnic on the Greenbrier, or an excursion to 
Lewisburg. There is a very good store where 
everything can be bought — and many shopping. 
Gentlemen who have nothing to do amuse them- 
selves at whist — some play billiards — others exer- 
cise at nine pins, or with the gymnasium — and the 
hunters prepare for a chase, and so passes the day 
until dinner time, all having made another visit 
to the spring at twelve o'clock, which is called 
the lounging hour. For the half hour preceding 
dinner the band of music is performing in the 
portico. 

Dinner — this is an important period to a great 
many, the twenty sheep and beef slaughtered for 
that day are demolished with great sang-froid, 
and a feed servant will place before you a fried 
chicken or some other dainty dish which you will 
find very acceptable after six hours' abstinence, 
particularly if you have been down to the spring. 

There are twelve tables, each large enough for 
fifty persons or more, on a squeeze, and all the 
plates being labeled, there is no confusion in com- 
ing to dinner about finding your place. There is 
no necessity for being in a hurry, or getting into 
a passion — a little patience, and you will not fail 
to be satisfied. 

The dessert is abundant and very good, and but 
for the hurry and flurry of the servants, you get 
through this meal very good humoredly. Little 



176 The White Sulphur Springs 

or no wine is drunk at dinner, one of the beneficial 
results of the water, and a very conclusive one. 
After dinner the ladies generally repair to the 
drawing-room, where an hour or two is whiled 
away in conversation and music: there are always 
a great many ladies here who perform well, and 
this is one of the pleasantest hours of the day. 
Many who like the Spanish fashion sleep an hour 
or two after dinner — then at five o'clock the equi- 
pages are brought out for those who may have them 
and like an evening drive on the Sweet Spring 
road, or to the Greenbrier bridge. A third general 
visiting is made to the spring during the evening, 
and from then until tea time and till twilight the 
whole grounds are interspersed with company, 
promenading, laughing, chatting, and many an- 
ticipating the coming pleasures of the ball. 

The ballroom is open every evening on week- 
days for a dance. It is a neat and appropriate 
room, and has been much enlarged of late. It 
is lighted by three handsome chandeliers, with a 
fine orchestra in the center, and the music, a Balti- 
more band, is very fine. A piano is also part of the 
furniture. This is made the drawing-room during 
the day. After a great deal of dancing and waltz- 
ing the company generally breaks up by eleven 
o'clock, and so ends a day at the White Sulphur. 

On rainy days ladies can have their meals fur- 
nished them very comfortably in their own cabins, 



The White Sulphur Springs in 1 8 3Q 177 

though many of them prefer to come trippingly 
to the dining-room. 

Sunday is religiously observed here; divine ser- 
vice is performed, and the attendance on such oc- 
casions is always large and respectable. 

I joined the venerable proprietor of the Springs 
in one of his customary morning walks over the 
estate: a gentleman of the old school and one 
whose urbane manner and kindness of heart have 
gained him the respect and esteem of all who make 
his acquaintance. We walked through several 
large cultivated fields, some filled with vegetables, 
of which a great supply is requisite here, and 
others were waving with ripening corn and wheat. 
Passing through several green meadows more than 
a mile in length, we came round by the stabling 
establishment, where over four hundred horses 
were well provided for. In an adjoining field 
were several blooded colts, and cattle of the Dur- 
ham breed — the latter a present from Mr. Clay. 
The meadows and grounds are watered by many 
streams, and several sulphur springs rise in vari- 
ous parts of the land. Mountains extend all 
around, forming a fine defense against the storms 
and snows of winter; and abound in deer, pheas- 
ants and other game. 

The first white settler in this part of the coun- 
try was a crazy man, who wandering from some 
of the lower counties, here fixed his abode in one 



178 The White Sulphur Springs 

of the rocky glens on Howard's Creek. The In- 
dians having a superstitious dread of persons in 
his situation, were afraid to molest him, and even 
frequently supplied him with food. In the course 
of time other adventurers came — the Indians were 
driven off, and the country in the adjoining coun- 
ties has been rapidly settling ever since. 

The valuable qualities of the waters of the 
White Sulphur Springs first became known about 
twenty-five years ago, and its celebrity has been 
increasing ever since, until it has become a re- 
sort for persons from all parts of the world. Its 
beneficial qualities are undeniably good for per- 
sons in all conditions of health. 

A Spanish gentleman who was here during the 
past summer, and who had traveled a great deal, 
and visited all the springs on the continent and 
in Germany, gave these waters preference over all 
others. 

The notice of persons was first attracted to this 
spring by the quantities of deer which came to 
drink at the licks round about, formed by the over- 
flowing of the waters from the spring which have 
since been drained off. 

The discovery of the celebrated Springs of 
Bareges, among the Pyrenees, is attributed to a 
sheep, which was observed to stray from its flock, 
and direct its course towards them; when the peo- 
ple of the country soon became acquainted with 



The White Sulphur Springs in l8jQ 179 

their efficacy. An English writer thus speaks of 
these springs, whose waters are said in many re- 
spects to be analogous to those of the White Sul- 
phur: 

Bareges was not much frequented until Madame de 
Maintenon being at Bagneres, on account of the health 
of the young Duke de Maine, and hearing of Bareges, 
took the Duke thither. Since that, they have been 
greatly resorted to by invalids from all parts, espe- 
cially by wounded military men. 

The water is perfectly clear, and does not taste 
strongly of sulphur, but the smell is very decided. It 
is mineralized principally by the sulphuret of sodium, 
but also contains carbonate of soda, a small quantity 
of sulphate and muriate of soda, azote, sulphuretted 
hydrogen and glairine or animal matter. Taken in- 
ternally, it often produces, like other sulphureous 
waters, a degree of excitation, marked by acceleration 
of the pulse, perspiration more or less abundant, in- 
creased appetite, and sometimes sleeplessness. It is 
not in general purgative, and even sometimes induces 
constipation, particularly when exclusively used for 
bathing — but is diuretic, diaphoretic and expectorant. 
By its local or general stimulating properties, it 
cleanses foul ulcers, lessens the induration of callous 
and fistulous sores — promotes the exfoliation of ca- 
rious portions of bone and cicatrization. It is also 
highly efficacious in allaying bony pains, whether of a 
rheumatic nature, or arising from the wounds — in 
remedying the stiffness and immobility of joints, when 



180 The White Sulphur Jprings 

these symptoms depend upon tumefaction of the soft 
parts — in hemorrhoidal affections, jaundice and 
chronic disorders, and especially long standing dysen- 
tery — in chronic syphilitic diseases, and those result- 
ing from the use of mercury, dyspepsia, &c. The 
season begins on the first of June, and terminates in 
September. . . . 



Such a place as the White Sulphur, so well 
fashioned and provided for by nature, cannot fail 
to become, in a very few years, the resort of thou- 
sands of persons in search of health, and the head- 
quarters of fashion where the first people of the 
land will gather from all quarters and meet to 
reciprocate mutual good feelings. In less than 
forty months from the present time it may be 
predicted a railroad will sweep by within a short 
distance of the Warm Springs Mountain, and the 
inhabitants of Union will find it but three days' 
travel to New York, which less than twenty years' 
since was the journey of a month. 

The receipts at these springs are now very large, 
but the expenses are great. A considerable 
amount is annually appropriated for improve- 
ments, and by the summer of 1840, when the pro- 
jected ones shall be completed, there will be ac- 
commodations for more than twelve hundred per- 
sons. 

There is one great comfort here in the good bed- 



The White Sulphur Springs in l8jQ 181 

ding and clean white sheets not always to be had 
at watering places. The cabins are neat, small 
but comfortable, generally having two rooms, 
many of them four. 

Do you want accommodations for some of your 
friends about to arrive, you call that stout active 
little man whom you see brushing across the plain 
in such a hurry. He is always engaged, but ever 
at your service. Discarding the use of pencil or 
paper, he has figured in his head the names and 
number of the occupants in every cabin, their size 
and condition. He can tell you who is coming, 
at what time they will arrive, and when they will 
start. 

He is the person who assigns the visitors to 
their respective quarters. He is, for the time 
being, the chief ruler and prime minister of the 
interior. They call him the Metternich of the 
Mountains. Crichton and Willard have both had 
their day, and Anderson is now in the full tide of 
his fame. 

The White Sulphur Hotel is within a few hun- 
dred yards of the springs, where accommodations 
can be had for over one hundred persons; it is 
generally filled during the crowded season, and 
is open during the year when the other estab- 
lishment is closed. The proprietor is an attentive 
and gentlemanly person, and takes good care of 
his guests. . . . 



182 The White Sulphur Springs 

It is advisable for all who come to the springs 
to remain any time to bring with them some amus- 
ing and entertaining books; they will find them 
very pleasant companions of a dull hour, during 
the heat of the day, and in rainy weather. The 
essays of Charles Lamb is an admirable book for 
a watering place, many of his happiest thoughts 
being here illustrated. 

It is now the middle of August, and the White 
Sulphur and the whole neighborhood is throng- 
ing with company. There is life in every breeze, 
and a continual hum of joy and merriment per- 
vading the place. 

You are seated in front of your cabin in Caro- 
lina Row, with the whole panorama of passing 
events before you. You hear the strumming of 
many guitars, and the sound of flutes from various 
quarters — you listen again to the screaming of 
some happy children chasing a young fawn over 
the green; innocence sporting with nature — see the 
young creature, he has outstripped his pursuers, 
and has stopped for a moment to strain his wild 
eyes in a longing look at his native hills; but 
they are after him again. Yonder comes the cake- 
man, the children's friend; he is punctual to the 
hour, and is expected daily by the inhabitants of 
every row; there is music in the creaking of his 
tray to many. After him in importance, in the 
same line, is that little boy with the straw hat; 



The White Sulphur Springs in l8jQ 183 

he brings the sugar maple from the mountains, and 
from the near Sweet Springs. There is a man with 
an armful of branches and cedar from the woods 
— he has laid them down before a cabin in Vir- 
ginia row, and they are now decorating the pi- 
azza, bidding defiance to the hottest sun. The 
benches, under the large shady elms in the grove, 
are filled with gentlemen talking politics, and dis- 
cussing coming elections — comparing great men 
— or telling anecdotes — there is much to be 
learned at this place. 

There was one gentleman here — one of the great 
men of our country, who had been a senator, and 
governor of his native state; morning and evening 
wherever he would take his seat, a large number 
would gather around him, young and old, and 
talent and genius would listen in silence, while in 
the most fascinating manner he would discuss the 
first principles of government, law, society, poli- 
tics and character, and his frequent flashes of wit 
would make the whole area ring with delight. 

There is an arrival. It must be a family from 
the South, from the extent of the train, and the 
number of horses and vehicles. First comes the 
baggage wagon — then a young gentleman on horse- 
back — then follows the diligence, containing the 
children — nurses — and bandboxes — after that 
comes a close carriage, with the ladies of the fam- 
ily — then the gentleman himself, riding after — 



184 The White Sulphur Springs 

and the calvacade is brought up by several other 
vehicles and servants, as outriders. 

The opening of the mail— a scramble for let- 
ters and papers — expectation on tiptoe for the news 
— arrival of the Great Western — fourteen days 
from Liverpool — coronation of Queen Victoria — 
Washington deserted — President at the Springs, 
and the citizens at Piney Point. 

A lady is standing in her cabin door, a gentle- 
man approaches, and holds up a letter bearing 
her address, her eye sparkles with joy, she runs 
to meet it — and retires, forgetting pleasure and 
gayety for a while, to read a few lines "f rom some 
one at home." The better affections of the heart, 
and many of the softer passions of our nature are 
called into play, on the receipt of a letter from 
home in a strange place. There are several resi- 
dent physicians here; also transient artists — den- 
tists — and phrenologists — and a corn-doctor's card 
has been posted up for several days. We have two 
or three itinerant jewelers also — they have been 
displaying their finery and tinsel spread out in the 
square, and their tables have been surrounded all 
day with nurses and children, and all who can 
satisfy themselves with gilt ear ornaments and fin- 
ger rings. 

The President of the United States is here, and 
many other distinguished persons. Ladies of 
fashion and belles from the principal cities — for- 




The President's Cottage 



Facing page 185 



The White Sulphur Springs in 1 8 3Q 185 

eign ministers — members of the cabinet, senators,. 
— and representatives, prominent judges — officers 
of the army and navy, and polished private gen- 
tlemen, all combining to make the present com- 
pany as elegant and select as any party ever as- 
sembled at a watering place. 

There is great attraction at the ballroom at pres- 
ent, and it is brilliantly attended every evening 
by the light and gay hearted. Dignity, and power, 
and beauty, and grace, and wit make up the com- 
pany, mingling their qualities and their fascina- 
tions. 

The afternoons now are very fine for walks — 
there are several very pretty ones in and around 
the neighborhood — parties and couples are stray- 
ing in the beautiful paths of the Mastin Wood, in 
the rear of the hotel, and some are extending their 
steps as far as Lover's Retreat, a romantic spot, in 
the same direction. 

On that part of the Sweet Spring road which 
winds around by the Colonnade, is another very 
pretty walk, with a fine prospect from the brow 
of the hill. Pursuing this path, stepping over 
little rivulets which meander through the glades 
of this beautiful country, you come to a little 
white cottage where small parties of ladies and 
gentlemen are refreshing themselves with ice- 
cream and niceties that even Henrion would ap- 
prove of. 



1 86 The White Sulphur Springs 

If each individual in the society at a place like 
this, where it is generally so very good, would only 
feel convinced how much his efforts, however 
small, might contribute to the general pleasure — 
and if all would recollect that they are strangers 
on the same ground, equally entitled to each other's 
notice and attention, as sojourners from home, 
without reference to their time of arrival — there 
would be more frequent intercourse of an agree- 
able and intimate nature among various persons, 
and the comforts and enjoyment of each would be 
mutually promoted. 

The general interchange of civilities exists to a 
greater degree among the company at these springs 
than at those of the North; which doubtless re- 
sults from the isolated position of the former, the 
majority of southern people who attend them, and 
the natural propensity of independent persons who 
remain together any length of time to be sociable. 
In the course of a few years the tide of travel and 
fashion will flow this way, and it is hoped that 
neither parvenu pride or unnecessary etiquette 
will destroy the social beauties of the old regime. 
Not that there is much fear of it at present. 

This is the hour for drives and excursions. You 
meet carriages and . . . vehicles of all descrip- 
tions, returning from picnics — and going out with 
those desirous to meet the evening stages, to wel- 
come friends in advance, and to kiss hands to 



The White Sulphur Springs in 1 8 39 187 

some lady passenger they may know in passing, 
and bring home wild flowers. 

You never thoroughly understand the philos- 
ophy of the word picnic until you come here. Ask 
a lady who has spent a summer at the White Sul- 
phur to tell you. We had something of the kind 
a few days since at the Greenbrier, about five 
miles from the springs, but there were no ladies 
present — it was altogether a gentleman's affair. 
It originated with the delegate from Florida, and 
some others, who invited the company to the num- 
ber of nearly a hundred, among whom were the 
President, the Secretary of War, and many distin- 
guished members of Congress and others. 

The party had all assembled before two o'clock 
at the brick tavern at the bridge. Parties on picnic 
excursions generally carry their own delicacies and 
baskets, but this was to be an uncommon affair. 
We found everything amply provided for us, as 
it were by invisible hands. Invisible hands had 
got ready the most tempting and cooling bever- 
ages for the dusty, thirsty guests (it was a very 
dusty day), and invisible hands had prepared, un- 
der a large green arbor at the foot of the moun- 
tain, a most magnificent entertainment. And then 
with myrtle leaves for a canopy over our devoted 
heads we all sat down with smiling faces to do 
justice to the delicacies spread before us. 

We had all the luxuries of the mountains, the 



188 The White Sulphur Springs 

farmyard, and the streams. The noisy servants at 
our backs were duelling with champagne corks 
all the time, and the table was sparkling with 
wine and wit. 

At this stage of the proceedings there was a 
sudden cessation of knives and forks for a moment, 
the band striking up a well-known lively air, and 
all eyes were turned towards the host, who ap- 
peared leading in a sorry-looking gentleman who 
had just arrived. He had come late, and gave as 
his excuse that the ladies at the springs, finding 
themselves deserted by the beaux, had seized on 
him, and he had just made his escape from Para- 
dise Row, and covered with dust and glory, had 
come to join our party. We were regaled with a 
fine, refreshing breeze from the mountain during 
the whole time, and the day went by most agree- 
ably. 

We all came home at seven o'clock in the eve- 
ning, passing through the enchanting valleys, and 
arrived in time to meet the ladies in the ball-room, 
and give an account of our absence during the day. 

One fine racy morning, before sunrise, throw- 
ing our cloaks over our shoulders, we rolled off 
in an open carriage to make a visit to the Sweet 
Springs, and enjoy the ride before breakfast. We 
left the White Sulphur long before the inhabi- 
tants of Paradise Row were stirring, and in a little 



The White Sulphur Springs in l8jQ 189 

while our dapples were winding their way through 
some of the finest scenery romance or poetry had 
ever pictured. 

Over a smooth beaten road, which seemed to 
have been carved through the mountains, like the 
pass of Mount Athos, we went on, with woodland 
steeps on each side of us, and afar for miles in 
front we had a refreshing perspective in the high 
green hills. Occasionally in coming to a turn 
in the road some new wonder would open before 
us. At one time we were bordered on each hand 
by a rocky palisade of some hundred feet in height. 
And again where the road was more narrow, we 
passed under natural arbors, formed by the meet- 
ing of the tops of the bending trees from each side 
of the way, and where the laurel was twining its 
own garlands on the branches. 

My companion, Major V , had brought 

with him a copy of Childe Harold, which was 
opened, and the finest passages sought out. He 
soon closed the book again, however, saying, as 
we both thought, that we had poetry enough 
around us. 

A ride of ten miles brought us to Crow's, with 
a fine relish of breakfast, or anything else that 
might be offered us. 

This is the place where so many excursions are 
made from the Springs, for dinner parties and 
picnics. The tavern stands on the corner of the 



190 The White Sulphur Springs 

road at the foot of a mountain, and the sign-board 
swings out in front, after the manner of that of 
Nicholas Vedder of old, and many a Rip Van 
Winkle can be found in the whereabouts, who 
knows the legends of the neighborhood. 

We entered the white palings through a wicket 
gate, and were met on the piazza by Mr. Crow, 
quite portly, and good natured in appearance^ 
somewhat of a politician, besides being a colonel. 
He promised us all we required, and brought 
us a frozen imperial to refresh us. 

There is not a tavern keeper, or a stage owner, 
in all Western Virginia — or a great wood chopper 
• — who has not some military title — General is 
I very high — only the real militia men take that — 
Colonel predominates — and any one who kills a 
rattlesnake is made Major on the spot. 

We have met the President, who had rode over 
on horseback accompanied by one of his sons, to 
breakfast. Several travelers in the house, on learn- 
ing that he was the chief magistrate, came in and 
made themselves known to him and were cour- 
teously received.' 

Chateaubriand, in describing his visit to the first 
president of the United States, remarks on the 
simpleness of his retired manner — and the plain- 
ness of everything around him, and wonders how 
long such beauties of republicanism will last. 

We fell into a similar train of thought for a mo- 



The White Sulphur Springs in 183Q 1 91 

ment, and were consoled with the grateful reflec- 
tion that the purity of our institutions, in one par- 
ticular at least, had existed for half a century. 

For here was the eighth president of the United 
States, after the lapse of nearly fifty years since 
the time mentioned by the great French writer, 
traveling in a wild part of the country, several 
hundred miles from the seat of government, with- 
out retinue or even an attendant. 

Colonel Crow has a large garden attached to his 
establishment, where we gathered a bouquet of 
jessamines and went on to the Sweet. 

We left the picturesque behind us, and for the 
next six miles of our journey, we passed through 
a more cultivated country, with many large fields 
of waving wheat tops and corn blades. Within a 
mile or two of the Sweet, we came to what is called 
the Red Spring, an old dilapidated building, grey 
with age, and all its windows shattered. A young 
country boy was swinging on the broken gate 
which led to the house from the road, and in reply 
to our question as to who lived there, he told us 
with an arch look that it was haunted; and scam- 
pered off, leaving us much to marvel, with our 
curiosity excited. 

Mr. Paulding says in his letters from the South, 
written twenty years since, that the boys in this 
region are all born poets, but that they run about 



192 The White Sulphur Springs 

in the sun, without hats, and have their brains 
dried up. 

Before twelve o'clock, we entered the smiling 
valley of the Sweet Springs. As we passed to our 
lodgment, in the direction of the bath house, we 
heard the merry voices of the bathers, enjoying 
themselves at their usual hour. 

We made our first appearance at dinner, where 
over two hundred persons were struggling for 
elbow room at two tables only large enough for 
half that number. We were so fortunate as to be 
seated near a celebrated caterer, who, having a 
dozen servants in his pay, he was liberal enough 
to supply all his friends in his vicinity. We had 
air during dinner, from the many fans suspended 
above, and which were kept constantly in motion. 

Whoever comes to the mountains, should make 
a visit to the Sweet Springs, if but for one day. 
Much of the scenery in the neighborhood is of 
the most beautiful and refreshing kind, and the 
whole place is redolent with life and animation, 
particularly at a time when thronging with com- 
pany. 

You enter on your arrival into a large green area, 
having on each side rows of white rustic-looking 
cottages, and directly before you at the further end 
is a green hill of a most "peculiar diadem." Many 
little cabins of brick and frame-work are scattered 
in various parts of the grounds. 



The White Sulphur Springs in l8jQ 193 

The spring is under the piazza of the bath 
house; the water rises in a cylindrical reservoir. 
It is sparkling and exhilarating, and has a piquant 
acidulous taste, something like soda water which 
has been left standing. The temperature of the 
water is 73 degrees Fahrenheit, and contains sul- 
phate of magnesia, muriate of soda, and sulphate 
of soda, carbonate of magnesia, carbonate of lime, 
with traces of iron and silicious matter, free car- 
bonic acid, bi-carbonate of soda, and carbonic acid 
gas ; the excess of the carbonic acid gives the waters 
a great briskness. 

The stream is very copious and supplies the two 
extensive baths in the adjoining building, which 
are reserved for the different sexes. The gentle- 
man's bath is in a quadrangular form of five feet 
in depth, and surrounded by a wall with an open- 
ing at the top ; the water is continually flowing off. 
Upon first entering the bath, you receive a slight 
shock; and in another moment, the most delight- 
ful sensations come over you. The water is soft 
and unctuous to the body, and it stimulates power- 
fully the action of the skin, being of a tonic nature, 
improving its functions, and exciting the activity 
of the absorbent system. The carbonic acid gas 
is seen bubbling up, in little globules, on the sur- 
face of the water. 

We were recommended not to remain in the 
bath longer than three minutes at first; but we 



194 The White Sulphur Springs 

heard of two persons, the day before, having re- 
mained in the other bath over an hour. At some of 
the baths in Switzerland, which have not a very 
high temperature, the patients pass six or eight 
hours a day in the water. 

Bathing has become a science, and many trea- 
tises have been written on the subject. For those 
who would enlarge and extend such information, 
the waters of the springs of this region will afford 
them the best opportunities of judging, both by 
practical experiments of their efficacy, and from 
observation of the various effects upon different 
systems. 

We conversed with Jean De Lorme, the old 
bath-keeper, who has been standing here, with a 
napkin on each arm, for the last forty years. 
"Peregrine Prolix" has given his history in full, so 
we were prepared for the antiquated guardian of 
the bath. 

The Sweet Springs are among the most ancient 
and celebrated watering places in the United 
States, and it is only surprising that until very 
lately so few improvements have been made in the 
buildings. A large and handsome hotel is now 
erecting, which will be ready for the reception 
of guests in the summer of 1839, and the accommo- 
dations will then be sufficient for four hundred 
persons. This has been long wanting, for the cot- 



The White Sulphur Springs in l8jQ 195 

tages are mostly old and dilapidated, each con- 
taining two small rooms. 

The bar-room of the present day was once the 
theatre of quite a different display. The county 
court was formerly held in that room, where Pat- 
rick Henry, and other great men of Virginia, have 
been heard to thunder their eloquence. 

There is a continual flow and ebb of company 
here during the summer, and it is only in the lat- 
ter part of August, and the first few weeks in 
September, that the place is much crowded, when 
persons, with families, after having drunk the 
waters of the other springs, come here to bathe 
in the waters, which possess so many secret and 
beneficial qualities. Its influence is visible in the 
gay spirits and animation of the company. The 
amusements here are various — a ball room and a 
piano, where the ladies can amuse themselves; and 
many pretty walks of an evening over the green 
hill, which leads to more sequestered retreats 
through the woods and to groves shaded by the 
maple trees; rides on horseback and drives to 
waterfalls, and fishing streams, in the neighbor- 
hood — and they have the most transparent of 
moonlights. 

The forests abound in game, particularly pheas- 
ants — and gentlemen can have fine sport in that 
way. 

The Sweet Springs are destined, at no distant 



196 The White Sulphur Springs 

day, to become a great and favorite place of resort, 
and its vicinity to the White Sulphur, and the fa- 
cilities of getting there, give it many advantages. 

The Sweet Spring water is serviceable in the 
varieties of dyspepsia, accompanied by spasms, or 
with pains at irregular intervals. In secondary 
debility of the digestive canals, from the exhaust- 
ing heat of summer, or in chronic diarrhoea and 
dysentery without fever. 

Females of what are termed a nervous habit of 
body, who have been enfeebled by protracted con- 
finement, or long nursing their children, depriva- 
tion of exercise, and of the enjoyment of fresh air, 
and who have in addition to these causes of dys- 
pepsia, made excessive use of tea and coffee, will 
find their health and strength restored by drinking 
these waters, and by using the bath. 

The usual time for drinking the waters of the 
Sweet Springs, is early in the morning, before din- 
ner, and at tea time. This latter period is an im- 
proper one, it has been thought; except the invalid 
suffer at the time from spasm of the stomach, or 
experience a morbid and gnawing sensation of 
hunger. The water is also useful in calculus and 
nephritic complaints. It is efficacious in those de- 
ranged states of the digestive functions which are 
termed abdominal obstruction. In chronic en- 
largement of the liver, or long standing stomach 
disorder with acidity, hemorrhoidal affections, 



The White Sulphur Springs in l8jQ 197 

and uterine derangement. The water being only- 
tepid, the bath is not recommended for chronic 
rheumatism or gout. 

The waters of the Sweet Springs (save in tem- 
perature), for their cures and in their ingredients, 
may be likened to those of Vichy, a celebrated wa- 
tering place in France, on the banks of the Allier, 
eighty leagues from Paris. 

One of the favorite amusements at the White 
Sulphur, is the deer hunt. The season commences 
after the first of August and continues until the 
close of November; during those four months it is 
kept up continually, and with much spirit. A 
very fine pack of hounds, to the number of sixty, 
is owned here by one of the sons of the proprietor, 
and it is a beautiful and novel sight to see them all 
going out. 

The several Carolina gentlemen who spend 
their summers here, are particularly fond of the 
sport, and each morning during the season, they 
may be seen getting ready, with high hope in their 
faces, and arranging the routes and the drives for 
the day. And when the spoil is brought in, and 
displayed in the principal square, there is a great 
rejoicing among the sportsmen and good livers, 
and comparing of notes among the hunters. The 
fortunate hero of the day has a feather in his cap 
until the next hunt, and claims the first haunch, 



198 The White Sulphur Springs 

with the privilege of making a present of the other 
to whom he pleases. 

Great preparations were making one morning 
for the hunt. A slight rain the evening previous 
had laid the dust somewhat, and the ground was 
thought to be in good order, and the dogs were 
keen for the scent. The President was to attend 
the hunt that day, and much pleasure was antici- 
pated, and the southern men were anxious to show 
the northerners a little real good sport. 

There was a mounting and making ready among 
the party. Col. S , Col. H , of Caro- 
lina, and Dr. C , the leaders of the chase, 

and the crack shots were there — and Nimrod, rais- 
ing his bugle, brought forth the whole pack with 
their music, as loosened from the kennel they came 
dashing through the square. 

This being an uncommon day, it was given out 
that the ladies could accompany the party, follow- 
ing, those who pleased, in carriages. 

The party started and took the Greenbrier route. 
Nimrod, with the hounds, in front, and then the 
cavaliers with their velvet coats and caps, and 
rifles and double-barrels. Many of the gentlemen 
who carried no guns preferred ambling along with 
the carriages, as much more gallant than leaving 
them for other deer in the mountains. 

We went forth in gallant style, and only wanted 



The White Sulphur Springs in T8jQ 199 

the hawkers, to have imagined ourselves in the 
reign of Queen Elizabeth on a Holy-rood day. 

After driving for a few miles, we came to the 
appointed place on a turn off from the road, on a 
grassy knoll in the shade, which was to be our 
stand, and where we were left to shoot the deer if 
we pleased, with canes and parasols, whenever he 
might come by. 

Occasionally we would hear the baying note of 
a single hound, which would die away in the 
breeze, then again of the whole pack. Nearer and 
nearer they came. A horseman dashed by in the 
direction of the Springs. We were all again in 
motion, and from a station of greater eminence on 
the hill at a little distance, we were promised in 
a short while a rare sight, as something fine had 
been started. 

We had not waited long before a large stag 
made his appearance from the brushwood at the 
side of the mountain and bounded into the field, 
the dogs after him in full cry. It was a most excit- 
ing scene. The dogs were running beautifully, 
most of them two and two, at full speed, and the 
deer about twenty yards only, in front. Three 
times they went around and across Briar-field, the 
hounds gaining rapidly — now within a few feet 
of him — now the stag gaining, while many a fond 
wish from the softest hearts was heard for his 
safety. 



200 The White Sulphur Springs 

"I hope he will escape," said one fair lady. 

"I hope he won't," said Frank H , a great 

rider, "he has worried us enough to-day." 

We looked on with great interest. The boys 
who had read Ovid, thought of Action and a dark- 
eyed girl quoted a passage from Scott. 

The affrighted animal in the meantime, know- 
ing his danger, was making for the stream, which 
he gained just as Ring, a famous hound, would 
have had him in another jump. 

The deer, after swimming for half a mile, and 
cooling himself, was again routed; he was soon 
overtaken and at the mercy of the dogs; but this 
was out of our sight. 

The company, after witnessing a deer hunt in 
our own times, and much pleased with the sport, 
went off to Lewisburg, many of them to finish the 
day. This is a little town ten miles from the White 
Sulphur. The court is held here, where parties 
make frequent excursions to hear a speech at the 
bar, dine at Frazier's, and then return in the eve- 
ning. 

We left Lewisburg after five o'clock and came 
home in high glee, passing over the "Bridge of 
Sighs." This is a bridge thrown over the creek, 
about two miles from the Springs, and is a very 
pretty place for a walk of an afternoon. It is so 
called from the fact of a young fawn having been 
wounded by the hunters and escaping pursuit, hav- 



The White Sulphur Springs in l8jQ 201 

ing there fallen, where a party just returning from 
a picnic were drawn up. The graceful animal, 
while expiring, yielded his last sigh at this spot, 
accompanied by more than one tear from pitying 
beauty — and hence it goes by the name of the 
"Bridge of Sighs." . . . 

By special invitation we were present at an en- 
tertainment given at the "Wolf," in honor of the 
advent of the hunting season, on the same evening. 

Who has been to the White Sulphur and not 
heard of the "Wolf"? It is almost as old as the 
Alhambra, and quite as celebrated in its way. It 
is a castle also, after its own style of architecture, 
and stands on the border of Wolf Hill, and joins 
the row of the same name, and commands the finest 
view of the surrounding scenery and the moun- 
tains. It is ornamented with two piazzas, or as a 
late colonel in the army used to say, it has a 
"Pizarro" in front, and a "Portorico" in the rear. 

This is the residence of Nimrod and the fox- 
hunters. The apartments are decorated with the 
trophies of many a successful day's sport, in the 
branching antlers of stags— brushes — bearskins — 
and a great variety of fire-arms — hunting dresses — 
and bugles — which are hung around. 

The party on this occasion number about twenty. 
The firing of a gun from the front door (something 
new) was the signal that all was ready — and to 



202 The White Sulphur Springs 

notify absent guests who were expected, to be 
forthcoming. 

The table was spread with a most inviting re- 
past, the delicate productions from the limits of 
twenty miles: The noble deer was there before 
us, the spoil of the morning, in every shape, in 
haunch, in stew and in steak — and barbecues and 
strange dishes, all novelties to a city man. In 
the center of the table was something peculiar — its 
name is not uncommon, mint-julep, but we had 
never seen one like this. The tumbler, if it can 
so be called, was of half-gallon size, frozen on the 
outside, and so rich were the contents, the green 
herb was actually sprouting from the surface, or 
else very ingeniously placed there. The top was 
ornamented with flowers, to make it more insini- 

vating, as Capt. observed, who sat near me. 

This was passed round to be looked at, various 
times, but it still appeared as original and as fresh 
as at the beginning; or magic changed the glass. 

The enjoyment and merriment were rare — the 
characters were original — the stories were new and 
good — and the songs were new: the traveler is sel- 
dom favored with such a treat. Claret was the 
general drink, I believe, among the fox-hunters 
of old, but Hock appeared to be the favorite bev- 
erage here. And among the many sparkling songs 
was the following, which was dedicated to the 
virtues of Hock: 



The White Sulphur Springs in l8jQ 203 

Away with all grief — 

And let us be merry, 
And fill up the bumpers with wine; 

But let it not be 
With Madeira or Sherry — 

But Hock! give us Hock! 

Sparkling Hock ! from the Rhine. 

For Hock is the wine — 

And it comes from the Rhine — 
From the land of old legend and song; 

And drink as we may 
The heart rises gay — 
As night with her shades, and her joys flies along. 

When we drink of its nectar — 

The fancy in dreams, 
Wanders away to the soft flowing streams : 

To the land where the maidens 

Are tilling the vine — 
And pressing the grape 

On the banks of the Rhine. 

And now let it be — 

Thro' this land of the free: 
Far and wide on her bright banners spread: 

While beauty shall shine — 

That Hock is the wine; 
Thro' summer and winter 'til youth shall have fled. 

It was now late — and the serenaders being an- 
nounced with their music, the party broke up, 



204 The White Sulphur Springs 

many of them to accompany these important char- 
acters on their rounds, while the author of Peter 
Simple and myself, made our way to Georgia 
Row. . . . 

Among the many attractive spots for wild scen- 
ery, and natural curiosities, which have as yet been 
discovered in this picturesque region of our land, 
are Beaver-Dam Falls, within a few miles of the 
Sweet Springs and White Sulphur. It is a favo- 
rite drive of an afternoon for many gay parties 
of pleasure from the Sweet, and many come over 
from the White Sulphur to write poetry under the 
shade of the dark rocks, and listen to the singular 
murmuring of the waters which abound with pet- 
refactions of the prettiest kind. 

It is off from the road in a silent retreat, where 
the old trees which have been flourishing there for 
centuries, seem only to change their appearance 
in wearing a darker dress every year; and look as 
if guarding the glassy stream which has for so 
long a time reflected their branches, as part of their 
own province, defending it from the sun. The 
beaver formerly held possession of all this neigh- 
borhood and many of their little residences in the 
shape of bee-hives are still to be seen here. The 
dam at the Falls was fashioned by their own hands, 
and here they lived, until poetry and nature, giving 








Beaver Dam Falls 



Facing page 204 



The White Sulphur Springs in l8jQ 205 

way to civilization, the beavers left the country, 
or were annihilated. 

So romantic a place can hardly have failed to 
have given rise to tales of love and romance. Con- 
nected with its celebrity, is an incident of life of 
recent occurrence, which is here written in verse: 

THE MAID OF THE CASCADE 

In times of late, there was a fair young maidl 
Whose soft poetic and romantic mood, 

By shaded stream — and waterfall and glade, 
Oft sent straying in her solitude. 

She was more handsome than some women are; 

Dark eyes — fine form — and pretty foot withal; 
And few maidens with her could compare, 

In dance, or grace, or waltzing at the ball. 

Ah me ! how many fine young men I've seen, 
Sighing for love of her, and twining flowers, 

In sweet bouquets, of pinks and myrtle green, 
To lend a fragrance to her laughing hours. 

In rides by day — in walks by silent night, 
But I misname, for in this happy place, 

There's nothing dark: — 'tis soft moon-light, 
Or day come back with poetry and grace. 

At all these times, the courted and the gay; 
The life — the laughing beauty of the throng; 



206 The White Sulphur Springs 

She gave so much to wing the time away, 

With flashing wit, with music, and with song. 

Some there were: — you'll meet them everywhere; 

They are, perhaps, at most a harmless set: 
Who said that other women were as fair; 

And as for her they thought her a coquette. 

Their dark whispering often she had heard; 

But what cared she, to her it was the same 
If envy even in the fancy word, 

Did style her grace by any other name. 

But we digress — there was within a mile 

In distance, from the sweet, Sweet Springs — 

How oft the thought of them an hour beguiles; 
What witching joys their recollection brings. 

There was within a wild and rugged glen 

Half seen, half shaded from the passing view; 

Where long ago, the beaver made his den — 
A spot which legend and romance well knew. 

There was a rock, that hung above the stream, 

Which softly flowed in beauty through the glade; 

And where it stopped, what broke its quiet dream? 
The falling waters of a bright cascade. 

'Twas said if on that rock, engraven there, 
By maiden hand, a lover read his name, 

That then by all most beautiful and fair, 

Her hand! her snow-white hand, he then could claim. 



The White Sulphur Springs in l8jQ 20J 

There she determined in a merry mood, 

To write a name that none of them could read; 

" 'Twill puzzle all," she said, "make a prelude 
To other farces" — but now to proceed. 

One evening, long before the sun had set, 
On foot alone, on sportive mischief bent, 

This laughing girl whom many call coquette, 
Had reached the spot — too late then to repent. 

As then she thought: and now with light step stealing, 
She trembling walks: she pauses — looks around; 

But hush ! what noise ! it comes now revealing 

No fearful thing; — the water's murmuring sound. 

One step; another: — she's there in her delight: 
Her trembling hand with busy thoughts essayed 

To write some name — when giddy from the height 
She falls in the basin of the bright cascade. 

There like a Nai'd the water's play, 

Struggling, her confusion to recover, 
All in the dancing stream in fright she lay, 

Until rescued by a gallant lover. 

Some months went by ; the scene was changed, and now 
Where fairy forms are gliding to and fro; 

And brightest smiles are wreathing every brow, 
The girl of summer days is bending low. 

A falling veil of snowy whiteness covers 
Her dark hair: her hand she disengages, 



208 The White Sulphur Springs 

To take the token given by all lovers — 
The ring — the marriage cement of all ages. 

She was a Bride — their daily bliss now heightens 
Of him — and her who was the courted maid! 

And 'mid the scenes their cherished mem'ry brightens 
Is their adventure at the bright cascade. 




ti. 



VIII 

THE COLONEL'S STORY 1 
BY MRS. ROGER A. PRYOR 

TRAVELERS in the forties to the won- 
derful Virginia springs had none of the 
blessings that now ameliorate the discom- 
fort of the long journey in the extreme 
heat of midsummer. George Pullman, the travel- 
er's greatest benefactor, had not yet been born. The 
passenger must sit bolt upright night and day, and 
take all the dust and smoke that were his portion. 
When he first discerned the dim outline of 
the Blue Ridge Mountains, bounding the vast, 
sun-baked plains, he felt that his trials were at 
an end. Tell me not of the salt breeze that 
sweeps the desolate sea! The breeze from the 
mountain top seems to come direct from heaven 
itself — pure, cool, and fragrant. 

And then when the noble range of the Blue 

1 Copyright, 1911, by the Macmillan Company, by whose courtesy 
I am permitted to use these chapters. — W. A. M. 

209 



210 The White Sulphur Springs 

Ridge Mountains is passed, and the fertile rolling 
country beyond, the railroad winds in and out 
among the foot-hills of the Alleghanies, and 
finally, ascending always, through the mountains 
themselves. Every turn in the road — which then 
passed over the path of Spotswood's Knights of 
the Golden Horseshoe — reveals an enchanting 
glimpse of mountains braided in and out together, 
rapid, sparkling streams, little green valleys; and 
humble homes of poverty, where the mysterious 
drama of life, generation after generation, is en- 
acted in all its stages from the cradle to the grave; 
where maidens grow up like the mountain flow- 
ers and the sons of God perceive that they are fair, 
and childhood laughs and plays, and old age 
dreams. Mrs. Berkeley thought of it all, as she 
looked out of the small car window, and wished 
for her husband, who could spare only the month 
of August for a holiday; Shirley — well, we can 
only guess at Shirley's thoughts; Dorothea was 
tired and missed the Colonel, often recurring in 
her thoughts to his tall figure as he stood on the 
platform and waved them good-bye; Milly 
thought anxiously about the understudy she had 
left in her household department, busied herself 
gathering the shawls and pillows which she had 
provided for the comfort of her party, and watch- 
fully cared for Dorothea. 

"Take in yo' haid, Miss Dolly. Does you 



The Colonel's Story 21 1 

want to go to the White Sulphur Springs with- 
out no haid? What you lookin' at, anyhow?" 

"The long line of cars when they go around the 
hill. They look just like a big caterpillar with a 
horn on his head — poking his nose through a field 
of daisies." 

"Lawd! Lawd! Dat chile! Nemmine! You'll 
git a cinder in yo' eye bimeby, and then we'll 
hear talkin'." 

At last the laboring engine reached an open 
plain high above the sea-level, and slowed up, 
puffing and hissing. 

"White Sul-phurr!" cried the porter, and 
immediately our passengers found themselves 
among friends. 

"Howdy, Mrs. Berkeley; gimme your checks. 
Doctor comin' bimeby? Hi! Sis Milly Thom- 
son! Is you back here ergin? This way! Plenty 
of room in the stage. We fotch Big Tom along 
to-day," and into "Big Tom," an enormous omni- 
bus, they were quickly bundled with many passen- 
gers, — most of whom had long been habitues of the 
South's most famous watering-place. 

Each passenger seemed delighted as the familiar 
buildings associated with so many happy summers 
were recognized. — "There's the old church — 
there's Virginia Row." "There's our cottage," 
said Milly. "Lawd! Don't she look natural? But 
mighty little!" 



212 The White Sulphur Springs 

At the door of the hotel there were more wel- 
coming greetings. Mrs. Berkeley shook hands 
with the maids and porters. The delicate little 
lady at the news stand, the clerk at the desk, 
all were old friends. A negro lad, Isaiah, a new 
acquisition, was detailed to collect her bags and 
"show her to her cottage" a few yards away. The 
boy regarded her narrowly and considered, from 
her appearance, that she was good for at least a 
quarter of a dollar. Much exercised upon this 
point, he answered with great politeness her rapid 
questioning: "Who are in the Colonnade this 
year? Who has the first cottage on Virginia Row, 
etc." 

"Lawd, Mistis, I believe you knows more about 
dis place dan I does." 

"I shouldn't wonder! I have been coming here 
ever since I was born." 

Isaiah saw his opportunity: "Is you? Dat mus' 
'a' been as much as foteen years ago!" 

Of course no self-respecting silver quarter could 
lie mute in a lady's pocket after this! Isaiah felt 
that his fortune was made. This was simply a 
retaining fee. Contingent fees, fees for actual serv- 
ice, fees merely complimentary, stretched out be- 
fore him like the widening tail of a comet. But 
Milly, arriving at the moment, waved him away 
peremptorily. "Run along now about yo' business. 
Don't hang round this cottage pestering Miss 



The Colonel's Story 213 

Mary an' the chillens." At that moment another 
colored lad appeared with a large bunch of moun- 
tain azalea and "the Captain's compliments," — 
another "quarter" exhibited uncontrollable rest- 
lessness; the porters who had waited her coming 
then arrived with the trunks — several more quar- 
ters, — one for each; until Milly dropped the cur- 
tains before the doors, — an understood hint that 
the inmates had retired for rest and repose. 

A big hotel and nearly a hundred cottages have 
clustered around the spring of sulphur water, 
which was discovered more than two hundrd years 
ago by white men hunting with the then friendly 
Shawnee Indians. A beautiful undulating, green 
valley surrounds the spring, shaded by noble oaks 
of great age; with here and there a few magnifi- 
cent pines, each one high enough, hoary enough to 
claim kinship with the storied "Lonesome Pine" 
of the Kentucky author. Around the little cuplike 
valley the hill rises gently, and the cottages have 
seated themselves against it, their doors in the rear 
opening on a level with the ground, and the little 
pillared porticos in front ascended by steps, many 
or few as the hill rises or falls. When a cottage 
encountered one of the big trees, the latter was not 
sacrificed, but the house gathered itself together at 
its knees, took it into its embrace, treating it with 
too much respect to permit it to be boarded around 
its rough brown coat. 



214 The White Sulphur Springs 

The big hotel, with arcades reminding one of 
the cloistered convents of California, stands in 
the center of the circle of cottages, its chief attrac- 
tion a noble ball-room, with a perfect floor pol- 
ished by the happy feet of many generations of 
dancers. 

On one side of the valley rises the Greenbrier 
Mountain, and on the other Kate's Mountain, 
where, according to tradition, one Kate Caldwell 
hid all one dreadful night from the savages. A 
little farther west the sun sets behind "The Sleep- 
ing Giant." An ambitious row of two-story cot- 
tages are still known as the Caldwell cottages. A 
beautiful member of this South Carolina family, 
a lady as charming as she was lovely, once com- 
plained that she found no pleasant walks around 
her favorite summer home, — nothing but the little 
round of cottage-paths, or the stony, dusty road 
beyond. Her admirers were many and potential. 
Exacting a promise from her that she would re- 
main three days in her own rooms, the crest of the 
hill was cleared of undergrowth, paths leveled and 
carpeted with pine needles, seats placed between 
trees, little nooks given romantic names, and the 
famous "Lovers' Walk" presented for her pleas- 
ure. 

The resort commenced its life with many primi- 
tive peculiarities which still remain. At the time 
of which this story tells, wealthy Southerners, 



The Colonel's Story 215 

senators, statesmen, rich planters, presidents, and 
politicians filled the hotel and cottages, many of 
them bringing their own horses and servants. 
There were no bells in the cottages, and when the 
services of a porter or messenger were wanted, 
"Oh-h-h, George!" or "Oh-h-h, Ben!" as the case 
might be would be echoed around the valley, and 
George and Ben would materialize, sauntering in 
a leisurely way across the lawn. 

"The White Sulphur," said Charles Dudley* 
Warner, "is the only watering-place remaining in 
the United States where there is what may be 
called an 'assembly' such as might formerly be seen 
at Saratoga, or at Ballston Spa in Irving's young 
days. For the better part of a century it has been, 
as everybody knows, the typical Southern resort, 
the rendezvous of all that was most characteristic 
of the South, the meeting-place of its politicians, 
the haunt of its belles, the arena of gayety, intrigue, 
and fashion. In the days of its greatest fame it was 
at once the finest and most aristocratic assembly in 
the world, for although life there was somewhat in 
the nature of a picnic, it had its very well-defined 
and ceremonious code of etiquette." Everybody 
was willing — nay, anxious — to know everybody 
else, provided some one well-known person stood 
sponsor for the stranger — as indicated by evidence 
of even a slight acquaintance. 

The young girl was the crowning charm and 



216 The White Sulphur Springs 

attraction of the place, and should she be well- 
born, beautiful, and well-dressed, — for as one said, 
"an ill-dressed woman would spoil the finest land- 
scape," — she would be, were she rich or poor, en- 
throned as "a reigning belle" and rated little short 
of a goddess. If she were "a sweet girl but not 
pretty," she could find friends, drink the waters, 
and perhaps improve; but if the Fates had been 
really hard, and given her no personal charm what- 
ever, why — well, she needn't perhaps drown her- 
self in the Greenbrier River, but "the White Sul- 
phur is no place for her" was decided by the com- 
pany of knitting and embroidering mamas on the 
shaded gallery, — "a jury for conviction every 
time." 

The season had not really opened when Mrs. 
Berkeley arrived; that could not be until General 
Robertson, coming from Baltimore, and folding a 
blue silk sash across his ample chest, offered his 
arm to the prettiest damsel for the first German. 
The band was on hand, however, and gave delight- 
ful morning and afternoon concerts in the little 
temples built for their shelter on the lawn. Ro- 
mantic and martial music gains immensely from 
the entourage of mountains. The band discoursed 
fascinating waltzes in the ballroom every night, 
but there was more social life and less dancing than 
would rule as soon as August brought a larger 
crowd. Girls gathered in clusters to talk over 



The Colonel's Story 217 

their important matters; the few young men were 
shy and reticent, recognizing themselves as the 
weaker party; the older people enjoyed the deli- 
cious coolness and purity of the atmosphere, and all 
delighted in the charming drives through the ro- 
mantic country, returning home at night laden 
with clematis, wild yellow azalea, crimson lilies, 
tiger lilies, and the splendid rhododendron, which 
reaches in the Virginia mountains great size and 

beauty. 

Seated in a sheltered corner of the veranda, Mrs. 
Berkeley availed herself of the presence of an old 
friend who had preceded her by some days, and 
learned the name of the strangers as they passed. 

"That," said the old beau, "is Miss Kitty Burns, 
the belle of Louisville; here for the first time, 
however. That handsome old gentleman is Gen- 
eral Burns, her father. They grow fine men and 
women in the blue-grass country. Oh, here comes 
my girl! Isn't she lovely? That's Pearl Eustis, 
of Charleston. I presented her myself last season 
at the St. Cecilia. A perfect beauty— always 
dresses in white and wears lilies, real or artificial. 
I can't stop the procession to introduce her now. 
She and I will call at your cottage.— Ah! Here 
comes the belle of New Orleans. Miss Esme King, 
Queen of the Mardi Gras— stunning, isn't she? 
All three of these girls are going to be great friends 
with Shirley. That?— a late-comer nobody seems 



2i 8 The White Sulphur Springs 

to know much about. We call her the Evening 
Star. She never appears until night. She's prom- 
enading now with a rich cotton man from New 
York. Her name is — really, I don't remember!" 

The old beau looked thoughtfully at the hand- 
some stranger as she passed. "A fine figure of a 
woman," he commented, "always wears a star in 
her hair, paste probably, — not very brilliant, — and 
black velvet. Very handsome, but— I don't know! 
Isn't she just a leetle — pardon me — just a leetle too 
— what you call — decollete?" 

Mrs. Berkeley shook her head. "Don't ask me! 
I am from the rural districts, you know, and may 
be just a leetle — pardon me — just a leetle old-fash- 
ioned." 

"You never can be anything but lovely, Mary," 
said her old friend affectionately. "When Charley 
comes, I mean to introduce him to some rheu- 
matic old maids who'll monopolize him, and you 
and I will be boy and girl again and have a real 
good old time." 

"Agreed," laughed Mrs. Berkeley, "but I sus- 
pect I shall have to lend you to Shirley, faute de 
mieux! Her knight doesn't seem to materialize. 
Evidently she dreams of him." 

"No," said Shirley, slowly, "my knight is not 
here!" and rising, she excused herself and walked 
slowly across the lawn to her cottage. 

"Your girl is a beauty, Mary — patrician to her 



The Colonel's Story 219 

finger-tips. Give her a good rest before the crowd 
comes. Does she need the waters? Pretty bilious 
region, that low country of yours." 

"She needs something," sighed Mrs. Berkeley. 
"Dear, dear! Charley must come along and give 
her a tonic." 

"What did you do with Jim? I suppose Doro- 
thea is too old for a nurse, eh? — and he's looking 
for another situation." 

"James will never take another situation. He 
belongs to Berkeley Castle. I left Aunt Prissy, 
who can never be persuaded that peaches can be 
brandied or green sweetmeats preserved by any- 
body else; and James, like a saint, stayed behind to 
take care of her, look after the house, keep Andy 
straight, comfort old Mrs. Ponsonby, gossip with 
Betty Oliver, and incidentally overlook his own 
plantation affairs. Really I think he preferred 
it; — he said he did, at any rate. He never enjoyed 
this place. He treasures a funny printed letter 
Dorothea wrote him year before last from the 
White Sulphur — 'Dear Cousin James, This is the 
disgustingest place in all this world.' She has 
changed her opinion, but he adheres to his." 

"Well, we'll have Charley on the first, — just a 
week off now, — and I'll report for duty to Shirley. 
By that time I expect she will be ready to beat 
me off with sticks. I hear her! 'No old beaux 
of Mama's — no far-away cousins!' However, 



220 The White Sulphur Springs 

she'd do well to be civil. She may need me on 
the staff of her detective police, or, to put it mildly, 
her Information Bureau." 

"You might practise on me. The handsome un- 
known interests me. Who is with her here?" 

"She is with Mr. and Mrs. Stubbs in Baltimore 
Row. They have quite a romantic history. They 
both began life in a spinning factory in North 
Carolina and worked at the same loom. This is 
a great country! That was twelve years ago. He 
rose rapidly from spools to the raw material. He 
speculated in cotton, invested wisely, and is a very 
rich man. You see what he looks like? Well, his 
wife is his counterpart, — short, thick-set, spherical, 
but with a good-natured face. There you are! 
That is all I know about them. But this place will 
soon lost its prestige if the sans culottes descend 
upon us. You may say what you please about the 
magical sulphur waters; — it is really the fine ex- 
clusive society to be found here that attracts us." 

"And attracts others, too," said Mrs. Berkeley; 
"good may result to them — and no harm to the 
old aristocrats." 

"I'm not so sure," said her friend. "When 
the porcelain jar and the delft pot — or was it brass? 
went swimming together, you know what hap- 
pened. Better wait awhile and see how the hand- 
some lady behaves." 

"But you see if everybody was friendly and kind 



The Colonel's Story 221 

at such places as this, handsome ladies would be 
surer to behave; they would have social obliga- 
tions, restraining influences. However," she 
added, smiling, "it's idle to preach to you, Harry 
— on these subjects at least. I've labored with you 
all my life and you don't improve a bit. Where is 
our beauty's husband?" 

"Ah, now you're too much for me. There may 
be 'no sich person.' He may be a myth. She may 
be a widow." 

"I hope she is not already a widow," said Mrs. 
Berkeley. 

"Well, you know as much about her as I do — 
or likely shall. Her husband is somewhere in the 
world, I imagine, otherwise we should have our 
lady in serge and crepe — instead of velvet and bril- 
liants." 

Dear Cousin James, 

I hope you will receive this letter on the first — 
the day Papa leaves you. You will drive him to the 
depot in the early morning and then you will walk 
over to Miss Betty Oliver's, and feeling a little low 
in your mind, sit on her porch-bench and wait for the 
Northern mail. Miss Betty will make a perfect cup 
of coffee for you, — I wish I were there to share it, — 
and you will listen with angelic patience to all her wait- 
ings and woes, and then you will return to the post- 
office and get this letter! I wish I had something 



222 The White Sulphur Springs 

very interesting to tell you, but nothing thrilling has 
happened. 

The dear old mountains are just as blue — just as 
beautiful as ever. I love the meadow drive because 
there we get the finest view of the Sleeping Giant. 
The physician of this place is an old, old darling, — 
Dr. Moorman, — with a long white beard. He might 
be Noah or Moses or some other ancient Patriarch. 
Mama sends me to him every morning to be "looked 
over" — lest I should be ill (which I'm not), and we 
have become great cronies. "Aren't there some 
legends about these mountains?" I asked him yester- 
day. "Of course," he said; "a fine one, about old 
Titan yonder. Come down to the spring with me 
and drink a glass of water like a good girl and I'll 
tell you." Under the trees he told me a wonderful 
story. His father had learned it from an old Indian. 
The Great Spirit was angry once because a brave 
warrior fell in love with a pretty Indian maid and 
spent his time with her in this valley. Two arrows 
were sent to kill the lovers — one reached the heart 
of the brave, but the other missed the girl and buried 
itself in the earth. She withdrew it to kill herself, 
and the Sulphur Spring gushed out. Her lover was 
buried towards the setting sun, and trees have grown 
up over him. He is the "Sleeping Giant." She was 
doomed to haunt this place as long as the spring flows. 
When it ceases, she may join her lover in the Happy 
Hunting-grounds — and therefore we all come here, 
year after year, to help exhaust the sulphurous spring. 
The funny little white flower, Indian Pipe, springs 



The Colonel's Story 223 

up in her footsteps. I often gather them at Lover's 
Leap. 

Tell Andy I am going to grow morning-glories and 
nasturtiums all around the cottage, — and I think he 
might send me a few of his dark-colored nasturtiums. 
Here they have only the light yellow variety. We 
walk down to "Dry Creek" — Dorothea and I — and 
get them from the only garden near the place. You 
remember "Dry Creek"? — The big river that changed 
its mind and flowed in some other direction has never 
returned. The poor forsaken stones seem to lie there 
expecting it. 

But you are not to suppose because I know what is 
expected of a young lady, and write genteelly about 
legends, morning-glories, nasturtiums, and inconstant 
rivers that nothing out of the ordinary happens here. 
We have had great fun over our Dove German, in- 
stigated and carried out by our French Countess (oh, 
yes ! We have a French Countess, — only she was born 
in Kentucky; and we have a Bonaparte too — old Mrs. 
Bonaparte) because we girls numbered some thirty 
or more, and there were just twelve men, counting 
the night clerk. There were plenty of things they 
might have done for entertainment, but they lay about 
on the grass all day and promenaded the galleries at 
night — never asking the girls to dance, giving no little 
card parties or suppers. So Madame la Comtesse 
gave a beautiful morning german and left them all out ! 
We had the band, champagne and biscuits, and lovely 
favors. Half the girls personated men in dark gown 
and little derby hats. The girls wore their prettiest 



224 The White Sulphur Springs 

muslins. The men hung round the windows outside. 
They were not admitted even as spectators. 

The stages came in while the german was in prog- 
ress, and two tall girls — strangers — entered, and 
Madame courteously invited them to join the dancers. 
They wore large hats, veils, and light dresses, and 
danced remarkably well. In the middle of a figure I 
dropped my handkerchief and instantly one of the new- 
comers jumped up and skated across the floor to pick 
it up ! — Tom Burns and Larry Thomson had been taken 
to Mrs. Brown's cottage, laced within an inch of their 
lives, and dressed in her muslin gowns with white 
stockings and slippers ! 

Mr. Blake has been here as long as we have; — of 
course pretending he knew precisely the date of our 
coming. He has brought his Napoleonic servant, a 
groom, trap, and horses. You remember everybody 
mounts for the afternoon ride or drive in front of the 
drawing-room, and I was standing there waiting to 
drive Mama and Dorothea when Mr. Blake appeared, 
his groom leading two elegant horses — dark wine- 
colored beauties, larger but not as splendid-looking 
as Primrose (the darling!). Mr. Blake led them up 
near me. "Here are the best thoroughbreds Ken- 
tucky blue-grass can raise !" he said. "They have never 
been named. They have waited for you to name 
them." 

I had an inspiration. "Charge, Chester, charge. 
On, Stanley, on." 

That evening a bottle of champagne was sent to 
our table with "the compliments of Chester and Stan- 



The Colonel's Story 225 

ley" — and Stanley has been placed at my exclusive 
disposal for the whole season. "Isn't that charming?" 
you will say — but somehow I don't care much about 
it; and cannot decide to accept it anyway until Papa 
comes. 

I think Dorothea must give you more of her con- 
fidences than she gives me. I see her every morning 
in the writing-room, her face close to her paper and 
her curls falling down upon it, and from her lofty 
duchess-like manner I infer she is laying her com- 
mands upon you. I hope she has ordered some figs 
from the Berkeley Castle. These mountains never 
saw a fig. But dear me ! If you are reading all this 
at the depot, Aunt Prissy will be sending Uncle Isham 
to look for you. She will think you've run away with 
Miss Betty. 

Don't get lonesome, dear Cousin James 1 We shall 
remain here only during August. Find some nice 
new books for Aunt Prissy. Ride over to Ridgely 
and the Manor and Bellevue. Spend a day at the 
mill with Mrs. Bangs and "Ma'y Jane," and tell me 
all the funny things Mrs. Bangs says, and whether 
she has heard from Mr. Bangs. Don't neglect Mrs. 
Ponsonby — Don't forget Primrose's sugar — in short 
be very good, and soon, soon you will see us all again 
— and very glad to see you will be 

Your devoted 
Shirley. 

P.S. To tell the gospel truth, honor bright, I'd 
rather spend my afternoons with you in our old fairy 



226 The White Sulphur Springs 

glen than on Mr. Blake's beautiful Stanley — for, you 
see, his master will always, always be along. 

The Colonel read and re-read this letter, and 
shook his head. "A delightful letter!" he thought. 
"Just like Shirley in her kind remembrance of her 
neighbors. But why is Beechwood left out in her 
list of places I must visit? Douglas is one of her 
very earliest friends, too! She should not have 
forgotten him. I must remind her." The poor 
Colonel! He thought Shirley was missing him! 

On the evening of the first day of August, Gen- 
eral Robertson, arriving from Baltimore, tied a 
blue sash across his chest and, gloved, booted, and 
cravatted to perfection, entered the drawing-room, 
where a great crowd in full ball dress was assem- 
bled and awaiting him. The stately wife of an 
American minister, fresh from a foreign court, 
placed her ivory hand upon his arm; and they led 
the grand march from the drawing-room to the 
ball-room, through the long convent-like corridor, 
and the crowded galleries beyond. Conducting 
her to a seat in front of the music-stand, he stood 
beside her — a portly gentleman, who had opened 
the ball at the White Sulphur every season for 
thirty years. After the company crowded in, he 
excused himself to the Kentucky lady, and cross- 
ing the room, bowed low to Shirley, and together 
they made the round of the room alone — the old 



The Colonel's Story 227 

beau dancing with the lightness of thistle-down, 
and the precision of a master. 

Shirley flushed like a wild rose at the unexpec- 
ted honor which meant much to a young debu- 
tante. Her partner was quite capable, albeit stout 
and past middle age, of exhibiting her dancing to 
the best advantage. His courtier-like deference 
was charming, a fine object-lesson to younger men. 
Old Harper, the ball-room custodian, standing 
near the door, nodded his head delightedly. "I 
tell you," he said to Mr. Blake, "there goes the 
best blood in old Virginny, and the top notch from 
Maryland! Can't beat 'em, suh, — can't beat 'em!" 

"I should like jolly well to beat him" laughed 
Blake, who, having visited London, affected Brit- 
ish slang. But the incident, ordinary and insignif- 
icant as it was, confirmed him in his Virginia reso- 
lution. He would devote his summer to this dis- 
tingue belle of the White Sulphur, and what is 
more, if she wore well, win her in the end. She 
had been indifferent — at times, almost repellent. 
All the better! He could imagine few things 
tamer than an easy conquest. And really, after all, 
a time must come when a man must settle down. 

The next day a note was placed at every table, 
announcing a garden party on the fifteenth of 
August. Guests were requested to make lists of all 
their friends, and handsome invitation cards were 
ready for their use. Special excursion rates had 



228 The White Sulphur Springs 

been promised by the railroad. The recently in- 
augurated President of the United States would 
occupy his own cottage on the hill beyond the 
spring, and in his suite would probably be officers 
who had won spurs in the late wars with Mexico. 
A committee of ladies was headed by the Ken- 
tucky wife of the late foreign Minister, and in- 
cluded Mrs. Berkeley from Virginia, and repre- 
sentative ladies from all of the Southern States; 
also from Pennsylvania, for a very charming 
Philadelphia woman was a cottager this summer. 
To this committee the manager looked for sugges- 
tions, that this notable occasion might be worthy 
of their honored guest. 

At the very first meeting of the committee, the 
house lists, prepared by the members, were re- 
vised, and Mrs. Berkeley observed that the name 
of Mrs. Stubbs and her friend Mrs. Talbot were 
left out — the only omissions among the visitors. 
She called attention to this. 

"O dear!" said one. "You surely can't expect 
us to have those people — that common little Dutch 
creature Stubbs and that bold-looking made-up 
minx that nobody knows." 

"I think they are Virginians," said Mrs. Berke- 
ley, kindly. 

"Oh, but," said the other, "they aren't from any 
of the old distinguished families of Virginia. Did 
you ever meet them before? I thought not! We 



The Colonel's Story 229 

don't want any of the riff-raff at our ball. Let 
them keep their places. They ought to know 
them well enough by this time." 

"How will you make any woman know exactly 
where she belongs? Ideas might differ!" said the 
lady from Philadelphia. She had her own notions 
about some of the methods of the "porcelain vari- 
ety." "How are you going to work to make people 
keep their places?" 

"Oh! if they are troublesome — why — 'give them 
a little more grape, Captain Bragg.' " 

"I am sorry," said Mrs. Berkeley gravely, ig- 
noring the laugh that followed the quotation from 
a famous military order of the President, "but for 
myself, I cannot consent to inflict so deep a wound. 
Of course, the proprietor is careful in choosing his 
guests — otherwise none of us would be here. If 
they are left out, I shall have — very reluctantly — 
to withdraw from the committee. I cannot hurt 
any one's feelings. As to Mrs. Stubbs, a more inof- 
fensive human being I cannot imagine. She seems 
to be the soul of kindness. Why should she not 
have a pleasant evening as well as the rest of us 
who have so many?" 

"Mrs. Berkeley is quite right," said the lady 
from Philadelphia. "Let us be guided by her. I 
move to add the rejected names to our list," and 
thus the matter was settled, but with reluctant 
acquiescence on the part of more than one haughty 



230 The White Sulphur Springs 

dame. "This place is getting to be too democratic 
for me," said one, complaining to Major Selden. 
"If I am compelled to hear all winter discussions 
upon our common rights of 'life, liberty, and the 
pursuit of happiness,' that is no reason I must have 
my own summer happiness spoiled by being yoked 
along with the canaille. I am amazed at Mrs. 
Berkeley! Who is that Mrs. Talbot? Of course 
no woman is permitted to criticise another who 
happens to be unusually handsome — and knows 
it." 

"If 'ladies be but young and fair, they have the 
gift to know it,' " said the Major, who did not 
relish an implied censure of his friend. "That's 
just as true to-day as in the time of Jaques the 
melancholy." 

"Oh, yes, yes — of course! But you see this fac- 
tory girl, this Stubbs woman, is neither young nor 
fair. As to her gifts — nobody has yet perceived 
them. As manager of a ceremonious military ball, 
she is quite out of the question. Really, there's 
reason in all things." 

But the arrival of Hazazar, the costumer from 
Baltimore, put an end to all minor discussions. 
Hazazar came prepared to transform everybody 
into fisher-maidens, milk maidens, flower maidens, 
night, morning-stars, follys, Dianas, Minervas, 
Queens, Courtiers, Kings, peasants, what not? Of 
course the President and his party were excused 



The Colonel's Story 231 

from costuming; also the ladies of the committee, 
—those constituting the reception committee — 
before whom all the others were to pass in review. 

"I suppose you two will rebel and expect at 
the last moment to be forgiven," said Mrs. Berke- 
ley to her husband and Major Selden. 

"Not a bit of it," said the Major; "I shall go 
as the Ancient Mariner— long and lank and 
brown! 1 have my own story to tell of a long voy- 
age and " 

"Then I shall go as the Wedding-guest," laughed 
the Doctor; "for nobody else will listen to Harry's 
story. My sympathies have always been with the 
wedding-guest; belated, maybe, and forging along 
in a hurry, to be best man perhaps at his friend's 
wedding, and held up by an old seaman! Ah! 
many's the time that Harry has left me a wiser 
man— and a sadder, because I hadn't more time 
for his capital stories. Now I shall make up for 
lost opportunities. I shall cling to him like a 
Siamese twin, or a burr, as I am agricultural or yet 
more appropriately, a plaster." 

Shirley listened with intense interest. She had 
early secured— mainly influenced by the fact that 
she could weave a pearl coif from her wax beads 
—the only Juliet costume in the collection. It was 
exacted "that no one should reveal the choice of 
a costume." In all cases, when a costume was re- 
quested that had been already selected, it was 



232 The White Sulphur Springs 

simply "not in the collection," the time was short, 
the stock limited, and another choice must be 
quickly made. But Hazazar had an assistant. 
Money is mighty in any emergency. A liberal 
"tip," secretly conveyed, elicited enlightening in- 
formation to Mr. Blake, who immediately secured 
the only Romeo costume — a fact which the ami- 
able assistant instantly conveyed to Juliet. 

Secure in his position, he could afford to amuse 
himself with Shirley. "I think," he said, "you 
would make a charming Miranda." Shirley 
gravely agreed with him. 

"Then I shall be Ferdinand! That is de- 
cided!" 

"You are ambitious," said Shirley, looking at 
him critically. "As I recall Ferdinand he was 
quite beyond the ordinary individual— 'a thing di- 
vine,' noble in adversity, strong, dark." 

"Oh, I suppose," interrupted Blake, irritably, 
"you would be quite willing to see me personate 
Caliban." 

"I don't remember much about Caliban. — He 
was pretty awful, I suppose, but I have no person- 
al grievance against him. He could sing a rea- 
sonably good song. He has my sympathy in regard 
to scraping trenchers and washing dishes." 

Blake always recovered from the irritation of 
these little passages at arms with renewed spirit. 
"Too light winning makes the prize light," was 



The Colonel's Story 233 

one of his favorite quotations. On the present oc- 
casion, Shirley had a great desire to find some char- 
acter which would excuse her close companionship 
with her father and Colonel Selden. She had 
learned to avoid, as far as possible, private inter- 
views with Mr. Blake. On horseback she could 
always gallop ahead — in his trap she would never 
accompany him. For the "Lovers' Walk" she 
managed to be always engaged to some young lad, 
or Tom Burns the irrepressible, or some newcomer. 
She was thus unconsciously enhancing her own 
charm in his eyes. The more she eluded him, the 
more ardent was his pursuit. 

Here now was an occasion demanding deep 
thought and subtle behavior. She settled the pos- 
sibility of appearing as Juliet by presenting her 
costume to a dear girl, whom she knew to be too 
poor for anything so gorgeous, and re-read her 
little pocket edition of Coleridge, a present from 
Douglas. "I might be the 'frightful fiend' that 
'closely treads behind,'" she thought; "no, no, 
that's impossible. The sailor that shot the alba- 
tross? — equally out of the question; he was the 
Mariner. Ah-h! I have it! 

" 'He holds him with his glittering eye 
And listens like a three years' child.' 

I shall be the three years' child." 



234 I The White Sulphur Springs 

"I don' know what I'm cuttin' up your bes' sum- 
mer frock for, Miss Shirley!" complained Milly, 
as she ripped the lace from a handsome mull gown. 
Ef you'se aimin' to make me put it on Dolly, I tell 
you now flat-footed I ain' gwine to do it. I ain' 
gwine sacerfice that chile to none o' these distracted 
doin's at this place." 

"You're going to do exactly as I want you to, 
Mammy! You are going to make a short baby- 
waist, to a plain, short skirt with a hem, and three 
tucks above the hem. And what is more, nobody, 
honor-bright-cross-your-heart, except Mama, is to 
see it." 

"I got no call to cross my heart for you or any- 
body else, Miss Shirley. Fse a Baptist, an' you 
knows it. Go 'long, chile, you knows what I gwine 
do! I gwine do jes what you tells me. You ain' 
got no call to be cuttin' up good does! Miss 
M'Comas had a lot o' trouble sewin' on all this 
lace." 

Alas! Poor mortals know but too well the fate 
of many of their best-laid schemes. The morning 
of the great day opened with rain of that steady, 
persistent kind that precludes all hope of sunshine. 
Garden-party, indeed, with flower-garlanded 
walks, lighted by colored lanterns! The pro- 
prietor met all questions with smiling serenity. He 
had but one request — to be allowed to advance the 



The Colonel's Story 235 

mid-day meal to one o'clock and permission to 
close the doors of the public rooms until nine. A 
collation would be sent to each cottage and room 
in the afternoon. 

When the company assembled in the evening, 
the biggest kind of a surprise awaited them. Col- 
ored lanterns were thickly hung around the long 
veranda. Within, they were introduced into a gar- 
den. Birnam Wood had come to Dunsinane. 
Slender trees were bound to every one of the long, 
long rows of pillars, extending through sliding 
panels the whole length of the building, the floor 
was carpeted with green, and growing flowers 
were tastefully arranged in the center of green 
mounds. Festoons of flowers shaded the swinging 
lanterns. The President — the old hero of Buena 
Vista — in his throne chair looked down upon a 
scene gorgeous with color; laughing, scintillating 
under the glamour of the many shaded lights. 
"How on earth did you manage to have these trees 
brought to-day?" he asked the proud proprietor. 
He could drive a Mexican column up the slope of 
a mountain, but he had never ordered a forest to 
march into a ballroom. 

"Those trees have been lying in my cellar for 
several days," he was answered. "I could take no 
risks, you see." 

The costumed company represented many char- 
acters, historic or fanciful. When Mr. Blake re- 



236 The White Sulphur Springs 

quested that he might follow Miss Berkeley or ac- 
company her, the amiable announcer indulged 
him. To his unspeakable chagrin, the party was 
announced in rapid succession as "The Ancient 
Mariner, The Wedding-guest, Romeo, with a 
three years' child that listens." Shirley had cov- 
ered herself with an ample cloak which she 
dropped, too late for his escape, into Milly's 
hands. The President shouted with laughter. 
He was known to dislike society conventions 
and ceremonies and had looked forward with 
dismay to this ball, and the part expected of 
himself. The trio before him was irresistibly 
comical. 

Dismally lank, lean, and brown looked the An- 
cient Mariner, dressy and debonair The Wedding- 
guest; while Shirley was simply entrancing in her 
baby shoes, blue sash, sleeves looped with blue rib- 
bons, and amber beads. Her fine eyes danced with 
merriment, and her brown hair peeped out in little 
rings from her baby-cap. 

"I wonder," whispered the Ancient Mariner 
to Shirley, "if he would be insulted if we ex- 
plained ourselves to him. His knowledge of litera- 
ture, Scott says, doesn't go much beyond good old 
Dilworth's spelling-book." 

"He knows enough to understand children. 
Sh-h. He's beckoning to us now," said Shirley. 

"Why amber, little girl?" asked the President, 



The Colonel's Story 237 

by way of earning a word from the pretty vision. 
"Is not coral the wear for a baby?" 

"Yeth, thir," lisped the three-year-older, "but 
amber ith good for my croup!" 

"Perhaps the baby would give an old soldier a 
kiss — old enough to be her grandfather?" 

Shirley answered this with a charming curtsey, 
and stooping, touched with her lips the President's 
hand. He was delighted. Raising her as if he 
were a king, he respectfully kissed her own little 
hand. The pretty episode was applauded, and the 
blushing girl would have gladly vanished in the 
crowd. The old warrior, however, seated her be- 
side him to help him out, as he said. "That fellow 
at the door calls out the companies as they come on 
the field," he said, "but I do not follow him very 
well. I shall have to retire early and you will have 
plenty of dancing time." 

She dropped her infantile lisp and manner, and 
met the old General on the plains of Mexico. She 
could repeat the stirring lines, beginning — 

Beneath the stern old mountains we met them in their 

pride, 
And rolled from Buena Vista back the battle's bloody 

tide. 

She was so ardently patriotic and the veteran so 
fatherly that she lost her shyness in her efforts to 



238 The White Sulphur Springs 

entertain him. "Ah, Mr. Attorney-General," he 
said to Reverdy Johnson, "we find an ally here in 
the Virginia mountains — a good Whig. We must 
have her at the White House next winter. Mrs. 
Taylor will send for her." 

"We need her in the Cabinet," said the Attorney- 
General, gravely. "There's a vacancy in Mrs. 
Johnson's establishment. The Vice-President's 
office is already ably filled by Mr. Fillmore." 

Mr. Blake found his evening completely spoiled. 
He would have liked to avenge himself by devoted 
attentions to Miss Esme King, or Miss Eustis, or 
Tom Burns's witty sister. — But he had asked no 
dances of those young ladies, and their cards were 
already full. Well, he could show Miss Berkeley 
that he too could be indifferent. He knew the 
President would release her at an early hour. If 
she thought he was waiting for her, she would 
find herself mistaken. He would not dance at all. 
He was too much offended to hover around her. 
The evening train from the South arrived near 
midnight, and he strolled forward to see the new- 
comers. The first man that sprang out of the omni- 
bus and entered the office was Douglas Newton. 
Without being recognized, Blake returned to the 
ball-room. He felt that this might complicate 
matters. Shirley would have one more devoted 
attendant, and his own opportunities for interviews 
with her would be rarer. 



The Colonel's Story 239 

Many windows opened from the great ball-room 
into the galleries that surrounded it on three sides. 
The country people thronged these whenever 
anything unusual was expected, and every window 
was now filled with eager spectators— young men 
and young girls, old gray-beards and women with 
babies. No proprietor, since the existence of the 
hotel, had ever forbidden them. They were the 
gallery to the theater, and watched the dances 
with gravity and perfect behavior. 

"What's all this going on?" Douglas asked an 
old friend whom he found in the office— prefer- 
ring a quiet smoke to the hot, crowded ball-room. 
"Oh, they've captured the old hero, and are 
working hard for his amusement, — costuming, 
masquerading, and what not. He is perfectly de- 
lighted! You should have seen him kissing the 
hand of that lovely Miss Berkeley, with all the airs 
of an old courtier. You are quite sure you won't 
smoke? This is a mild cigar— won't keep you 
awake." 

"No, thank you— not to-night! You were say- 
ing—" 

"Oh, about Miss Berkeley? She entered the 
ball-room dressed like a little child, looking like 
one of Titian's angels, and he was so wrought upon, 
bless you, he asked for a kiss!— but, egad, the young 
lady evaded it as cleverly as you can imagine, 
bowed her pretty head a moment over his hand, 



240 The White Sulphur Springs 

and curtsied in the most charmingly deferential 
manner. She was willing to salute the old soldier 
that far! He admired her extremely. All this to- 
do over him delights him. No more wars for him ! 
More than ever he thanks God we are 'at peace 
with all the world and the rest of mankind,' as he 
said, you remember, at his inauguration, last 
March. Bless his innocence! He heard the peo- 
ple laugh, but that they were laughing at him 
never entered his head." 

Douglas felt himself too travel-soiled to appear 
in company, and it was too late to go to his distant 
room and refresh his toilet. He found a vacant 
spot in a window and, pulling his hat over his 
brows, he surveyed the gay scene within. The 
President and his party were to leave next morning, 
and they retired early. Shirley's friends had 
placed her in his chair and were gathered around 
her, full of interest in her conversation with the 
old General. She had removed her baby-cap, and 
her hair fell in soft undulations around her shoul- 
ders. It was the fashion of the hour to wear the 
hair braided and wound around the head like a 
coronet, but Douglas could remember Shirley as a 
little girl, and the little girl was again before him. 
Never had she seemed to him so adorable! A 
great tenderness, a great longing to protect her, 
swelled his heart. The country woman leaning in 
the window beside him heard a sigh, and regarded 



The Colonel's Story 241 

him with pity and perfect intelligence — "out thar 
in the dark," she told her husband as they drove 
homeward, "an' his sweetheart inside dancin' with 
the other fellers ! I cert'nly was sorry for 'im. An' 
he was a sight better lookin' then any of the rest 
of 'em!" 

When Douglas called at the Berkeley cottage 
next morning, he found only Mammy and Doro- 
thea ready to receive him, and they were just 
leaving the door for a walk to the Happy Gardens 
in the cool of the morning. A little boy with a 
wistful countenance led Dorothea by the hand. 
Douglas turned and accompanied them, Dorothea 
having gravely presented her companion. — "This 
is my friend Jack. I never can find Mama in the 
day to interduce him to her, and Shirley says she 
always interduces all her friends to Mama, and," 
— but Milly, foreseeing a long explanation, broke 
in: — 

"This yer's the innercentest chile at this place. 
I dunno nothin' 'bout his folks; they tells me I 
better look out, but this little boy cert'nly is a com- 
fort to Dolly. He jest devoted to her, an' she ain't 
a bit 0' trouble to nobody when she got him to play 
wid. More'n that, my Mistis is above all that fool- 
ishness 'bout who she 'sociate wid. She ain' feared 
she hurt herse'f by visitin' even ole Miss Bangs." 



242 The White Sulphur Springs 

"So this is Jack," said Douglas, kindly, "and he 
has been taking care of my little Dorothea while 
I was away." 

"Because you know," said Dorothea, "Shirley 
hasn't time to amuse me at all, an' the other chil- 
dren don't tell stories an' play moss-houses. Oh, 
I do like 'em — very much — but you see I love 
Jack!" 

"I see," said Douglas, gravely; "that makes all 
the difference in the world. But is he only Jack? 
Has he no other name?" 

"Tain't no matter what his name is," said 
Milly, hastily. "I knowed a boy once named Pat 
Grubble an' he was jus' as nice as any chile I ever 
want to see. Pretty is as pretty does — names ain' 
nothin'. Look at this yer low-down no 'count nig- 
ger that call hisself Napoleon Bonaparte Johnsing! 
He knows what I think of him! Ef he was a do'- 
mat at my do', I wouldn't wipe my foot on him." 

Douglas gathered that Dorothea's new friend 
was not of aristocratic lineage, but he respected 
the child's feelings too much to catechize him. The 
little boy, however, who had only waited for a 
pause in the conversation, now said simply, "My 
name is John Baker Stubbs," and added, antici- 
pating the usual next question, "eight-goin'-on- 
nine." 

Douglas thought him wonderfully small for so 



The Colonel's Story 243 

great an age. He shook him by the hand, saying, 
"I am very happy to make your acquaintance," re- 
ceived an approving glance from Dorothea, and 
leaving the party, turned aside into one of the by- 
paths of the Lovers' Walk. 

The grove was deserted. Usually couples who 
could find no other time or place for confidential 
talk might be found here and there on the seats 
under the trees, — little short benches a deux at dis- 
creet distances apart, — but after the midnight rout, 
sentiment was refreshing itself by a morning's 
sleep. 

Douglas seated himself on one of the benches, 
and clasping his hands at the back of his neck, — 
his favorite attitude, — settled himself for an hour 
of profound thought. Why should he think more 
about it? Every step had been gone over again 
and again. Rumors had reached him from time 
to time of Blake's devotion to Shirley, of the rides 
together, of the rare flowers he showered upon her, 
coming daily on ice from the best florist in Balti- 
more, of his openly avowed intention to distance 
all competitors. Of Shirley's own attitude there 
seemed no doubt. What more could any girl de- 
sire? He was accomplished, handsome, traveled; 
in good social position abroad. When the time 
came for him to "settle down," Shirley would find 
herself handsomely placed in New York or Lon- 



244 The White Sulphur Springs 

don or anywhere she pleased. Thus Dame Rumor 
threw the ball from one to another, until at last it 
had reached Beechwood. 

"Now," he reflected, "the time has come for ac- 
tion. What must be my first step? Dr. Berkeley 
would believe me, of course. He would know me 
to be incapable of a selfish motive — out of all ques- 
tion now. He could forbid further acquaintance. 
Shirley would believe, too, — but suppose her af- 
fections have been engaged! She would break her 
heart! Better, a thousand times, it should break 
than she should marry a — No, no, she must be 
saved from that, be her very life the forfeit." 

A footstep on the dried pine leaves, and Blake 
stood before him! He, too, had sought the de- 
serted spot for uninterrupted meditation. 

"Hello, Newton! When did you come? I 
didn't know you were expected," and he took the 
seat beside the other. 

Ignoring the proffered hand and familiar greet- 
ing and action, Douglas rose and said sternly: — 

"I was not expected. It is as well you should 
know at once that I am here because of your 
devoted attentions to my cousin." 

"My w r ord! This is interesting! Perhaps you 
will kindly enlighten me. Why, may I ask, can I 
not pay my devoirs to Miss Berkeley — especially 
as she has not forbidden them." 

"You remember you lost a letter at Berkeley 



The Colonel's Story 245 

Castle," — Blake started, but immediately froze in- 
to stiff silence. Douglas repeated, "You lost a 
letter! It was opened before my eyes and read be- 
fore I knew to whom it was written — by whom it 
was written. It was addressed to you, it was 
signed by — " 

''Stop!" said Blake, rising in a towering rage, 
and losing all self-control. "Before you go a step 
farther let me demand your right, — as I should 
have done before this: first, to read my private 
letters ; secondly, to interfere in any of my matters 
whatsoever." 

"I have told you. I have no apology to make 
for a pure accident. Having been given knowl- 
edge denied others, I have the right to use it and 
protect my cousin." 

"Cousin?" sneered Blake. "Cousin! Possibly 
her great-grandfather's second wife's sister-in-law 
might have been your great-grandmother. She 
has given you no nearer right — of that I am sure. 
So, Mr. Douglas Newton, by your august permis- 
sion, I shall e'en pursue my own sweet will at my 
own convenience." 

"You shall not, by God," said Newton, confront- 
ing Blake with blazing eyes. "I wished to spare 
you — I did not desire to degrade you, but I shall 
at once go to Dr. Berkeley." 

"Whe-w! Degrade! And has he, — have you, 
— no memories? Are a man's conquests as he lives 



246 The White Sulphur Springs 

through his golden years reckoned degradation or 
triumph? Come, come, Newton; don't affect to 
be an innocent fool. Haul down your haughty col- 
ors! A fair field is every man's right." 

"You are a contemptible puppy! I mean it! 
How could you DARE permit me to introduce you 
to my friends? How dare you take advantage of 
that introduction — knowing, as you do, that I 
know you. It is war to the knife between you and 
me." " 

"War to the knife, is it? To the knife then let 
it be — or, if you prefer, the pistol! I wish you a 
very good morning, Mr. Newton! To-morrow 
morning will be a better, when I shut your impu- 
dent mouth forever! My friend will call on you." 

"Your challenge is accepted," said Douglas, 
sternly. "I name Major Harry Selden as my sec- 
ond, and refer your 'friend' to him," and, turning 
promptly, he pursued the outward path through 
the grove. This path, as he knew, led at the rear 
of the cottages to the President's cottage on the 
hill. In last night's hasty glance over the registry 
of arrivals, he had observed that Major Selden had 
a room in this cottage. The President and his 
party, who had left in the early train, had not 
needed the whole of the house and had not per- 
mitted Major Selden to be disturbed. 

Hoping to find the Major at home, Douglas 
walked rapidly down the shaded path. Presently 



The Colonel's Story 247 

he heard children's voices, and looking up, espied 
Milly, Dorothea, and Jack, with their hands full 
of honeysuckle, returning from the "Happy Gar- 
dens" in which the Lovers' Walk terminates. Had 
Douglas seen the Happy Gardens? Then they 
must turn right back with him — 'twasn't far. He 
ought to see the old honeysuckles all lying on the 
ground in bloom. "Everybody has forgotten the 
honeysuckles but God, Mammy says! They were 
planted for a lady years and years ago, and every 
summer they bloom to let her know they don't for- 
get — and she does know, Mammy says, up there 
where she is." 

"Look 'ere, chillern," said Milly. "You ain' 
gwine back. Come along home an' git ready for 
dinner. What you talkin' so much to yo' cousin 
Douglas for, Dolly? Don' you see he ain' heerd 
a word you say?" 

Douglas hastened along with one thought pre- 
eminent above all others — to get speech as speedily 
as possible with Major Selden and explain the lib- 
erty he had taken in naming him without first ob- 
taining his consent. Above everything, the matter 
must be kept from the Berkeleys. Major Selden 
would realize this, and excuse him. 

The Major was seated in the little porch of his 
cottage, his chair tilted back and his feet on the 
banister — having just returned from the post- 
office near the Spring; and with his papers on a 



248 The White Sulphur Springs 

table beside him under a book to keep them from 
blowing away, he was unfolding the Richmond 
Whig when Douglas ran up the flight of steps 
leading to the President's cottage. 

"Bless me! By the powers, it's Newton! I 
haven't seen you since you went abroad. Come 
up! I'm delighted to see you. When did you 
arrive?" 

"I'm afraid, Major, your greeting would be 
less cordial if you knew my errand. It is of a 
delicate nature. May we go within? I have just 
had a quarrel with Mr. Blake — and he has chal- 
lenged me to fight him. I ventured to name you as 
my second—" and he proceeded without replying 
to the questions, and under seal of strict confidence, 
to relate the whole story, from Andy's discovery to 
the present moment. 

Major Selden was a man of the old school. He 
had been second in several duels and principal in 
more than one. He believed in a man's right — nay, 
obligation — to settle aspersions upon his honor 
in this way, and the right rose to the dignity of a 
sacred privilege if the sword left its scabbard in 
defense of innocent and beautiful womanhood. 
Like an old war-horse, he thrilled in the prospect 
of battle. He said with emphasis: "You were 
right to provoke the challenge, right to accept it. 
You make me your debtor by confiding your hon- 
or to my care." 



The Colonel's Story 249 

"I appreciate the fact that my story could be 
revealed to no one less devoted to Dr. Berkeley 
than yourself." 

"Right, right, my boy! I think it would kill 
Mary Berkeley if her girl's name should be in- 
cluded in any such story — bandied about from one 
newsmonger to another. The pretty child would 
perish like a butterfly in a flame. Now, our first 
thought must be of them — and the sooner we get 
this over, the better. The other party has lost the 
privilege of naming place, hour, and weapons. I 
never travel without my pistols, — I have a fine 
pair, — and I see no reason why we should not ar- 
range a meeting for to-morrow. The hour had 
better be not long before the morning train leaves 
for Washington. We are lawbreakers already, 
and should Blake fall we would have to get you 
out of the state in short order. What sort of a shot 
are you?" 

"I can cut saw-teeth around a visiting card at 
ten paces," said Douglas, "but I desire no advan- 
tage. Mr. Blake is, I hope, competent, or he 
would not have suggested pistols." 

A step on the gravel arrested their attention, 
and through the open door they perceived the face 
of Tom Burns, pale with suppressed excitement. 
"I come from Mr. Blake, gentlemen, I — I — he 
represented to me that he had no friends in this 



250 The White Sulphur Springs 

place and I could not refuse him. I bear his chal- 
lenge to Mr. Douglas Newton." 

"I suppose," said Major Selden, stiffly, "you 
have been made aware of the occasion of the 
duel?" 

"I have not," said poor Tom, with an expression 
of abject misery. "My principal instructs me to 
say that no negotiation except as to place and weap- 
ons is necessary, — he will consider none. But 
he asks the privilege of time to-day to arrange his 
affairs — as he is from New York and also has an 
engagement to ride with a young lady early this 
afternoon." 

The Major restrained Douglas with a meaning 
glance, and replied: "His request is granted. 
The time will be to-morrow, half an hour sharp 
before the departure of the morning train to Wash- 
ington; the place will be the little level beyond the 
Lover's Leap — quite hidden by trees from the 
buildings here; the weapons, pistols — one of a pair 
I have with me." 

Tom bowed and withdrew. "You see, Doug- 
las," said the Major, "we are in luck. That young 
fellow knows nothing. The spot I select has been 
used before for a similar purpose, and the pistol 
shots, if heard at all, awakened no inquiry." 

The Major was so much exhilarated by the in- 
cident that he launched into a train of vivid remi- 
niscences of Virginia duels in which he had taken 



The Colonel's Story 251 

part, and of- which he had heard. "It is the best 
remedy for an injury," he said, "and the only onel 
I am thankful to say I never had any part in a 
fight which proved fatal to either principal. I 
winged my man once — slightly — and never had a 
night's sleep until he recovered. You know Jim 
Barksdale? That's the old fellow — old now, but 
not then, and the best friend I have." 

"Should not the ride this afternoon be pre- 
vented?" interrupted Douglas, gloomily. 

"How do you know it is to be with Miss Berke- 
ley? Perhaps he will ride with Miss Kitty Burns. 
They are sometimes together. Don't worry about 
that. I'll see to it. Shirley shall not ride with 
Mr. Blake to-day, if I have to break her neck to 
prevent it. But as I was saying, we have had 
no duel comparable in interest to one my father 
remembers. I was a boy at the time, and never 
shall forget the excitement caused by it." 

"Hamilton and Aaron Burr, of course," said 
Douglas, wishing to help along a story that prom- 
ised to require time in telling. 

"No, sir! Not at all! A different affair with 
altogether a different result. I allude to Henry 
Clay's duel with John Randolph. Of course, 
you've read 'Tom Jones'! In one of Mr. Ran- 
dolph's outbursts in the Senate he called the Union 
of the President and Henry Clay 'the coalition of 



252 The White Sulphur Springs 

Blifil and Black George; the combination of the 
Puritan and the blackleg.' According to the rul- 
ing sentiment at Washington there was but one 
result which could follow such language as this. 
Mr. Randolph and Mr. Clay must exchange shots, 
and so they did; Mr. Clay's ball cutting Mr. Ran- 
dolph's coat near the hip, and Mr. Randolph's 
ball burying itself in a stump in the rear of Mr. 
Clay. On the second round, Randolph received 
Clay's shot which was happily without effect, and 
then raising his pistol, fired in the air. 'You owe 
me a coat, Mr. Clay,' said he, advancing and 
holding out his hand. 'I am glad the debt is no 
greater,' was the reply, and so the matter ended. 
Mr. Benton said it was among the 'highest toned' 
duels that he ever witnessed. But you are not 
going? Well, everything is being done just right. 
Make yourself perfectly easy." 

When Douglas Newton turned away from 
Blake in the Lover's Walk, the latter found a 
seat behind a tree, and proceeded to arrange 
his plans in accordance with the new turn af- 
fairs had taken. He perceived he had been rash 
in challenging Newton, and cursed his folly. And 
yet — he would not now be exposed to Dr. Berke- 
ley. Until the fight was over, he would be safe. 
That was an exhilarating thought. Many things 



The Colonel's Story 253 

might happen in twenty-four hours. True, he 
was irrevocably committed, and Newton was, 
without doubt, awaiting him at Major Selden's 
rooms. He must find somebody to act for him. 
No danger of Major Selden's hinting anything 
to the Berkeleys — he dared not arouse suspicion. 

And, after all, he reflected, what was it all 
about? What did Shirley care about him? Ah, 
he was pretty sure of her! Her coquetry proved 
it! He had never felt the faintest fear of failure. 
It was impossible he should fail. Shirley had 
accepted his gifts of flowers, his homage, his flat- 
tery — and pray why not? Was there one in all her 
train that could lay so much at her feet? And, by 
George, she was worth it! She was just the type 
of American woman the English rave over. 
Spirited, too, — could thrust as well as parry. But 
this was no time to linger over the lady's charms. 
His hour for prompt action had come. A bold 
step would result in success. Once having given 
her promise, Shirley would listen to nothing 
against him. She would become his ally, his 
powerful ally. She could learn by accident of 
the impending duel. It would be prevented. He 
smiled as he imagined her devotion, her spirited 
defense of him. 

He rose with a sigh. He must return to the of- 
fice, hunt up the registry of arrivals, and find a 
friend. Coming up the hill, whistling, was Tom 



254 The White Sulphur Springs 

Burns. The very man! Boy enough to be proud 
of the distinction, Kentucky bred, and trained in 
an atmosphere of chivalrous enthusiasm, — quite 
man enough for his purpose. Old Selden would 
see to it there would be no deviation from the 
Code. The result justified his reasoning, and Tom 
sped on his errand. 

The cars from the North were drawing into the 
depot, and thither he repaired for the special box 
of choice orchids expected that day from Balti- 
more. Opening the box in the depot, he wrapped 
them carefully, and took them himself to the iso- 
lated little Berkeley cottage near. He wrote on 
his card an earnest entreaty that Shirley would 
see him, if but for one moment, and entering the 
pretty little parlor, he covered the table with the 
flowers. Shirley had not left the cottage, and 
immediately appeared, looking angelic in her 
morning dress. 

Blake rose as she entered, with a smothered 
exclamation of gratitude. He at once assumed 
an air of intense agitation. "Shirley," he said, 
"I must speak! I must! I have not slept! You 
were cruelly cold to me last night. I have been 
in the woods since dawn and I have felt at times 
that I should lose my reason! No, no, I entreat 
you to listen! You know my feelings for you — 
and yet you give me no word! I can bear it no 
longer! My heart is breaking! Shirley! Oh! 



The Colonel's Story 255 

How can I say it as I wish? I can do so much 
for you ! You can lead society in London, or Paris, 
or New York — and come often to your dear old 
Virginia. Shirley, can you not come with me? 
May I not serve you as I shall love you all my 
life?" 

But Shirley stood looking at him without blush 
or tremor. She could not control a faint smile 
as she marked his careful toilet, his well-groomed 
appearance, not a bit disheveled by his agitated 
walks in the woods at dawn. Her leadership in 
London and Paris! Was he trying to play the 
impassioned lover? Was this his idea of making 
love? Really, he was acting extremely well! 
Blake's heart bounded as he perceived the quiver- 
ing moonlight smile, and he essayed to take her 
in his arms. Drawing aloof from him, she looked 
him fully and calmly in the face. 

"Say no more, Mr. Blake! I do not love you. 
I never can love you! I shall never consent to 
marry you! I thank you for these," laying her 
hand on the flowers, "but I can receive no more, 
nor any further attentions from you," and with 
her own graceful little curtsey, excused herself 
and left him! 

Blake stood a moment stunned into silence. 
"Well, that episode is closed," he reflected. 
"Now for the other. Damn the women!" clench- 
ing his fist. "But there are others! Lots of 'em! 



256 The White Sulphur Springs 

I seem to need no poultice for any serious wound! 
There are brighter eyes elsewhere in my world. 
No more bread-and-butter misses for me. No 
more high-strung proud women. A woman of the 
world has sense;" and pleading that letters per- 
emptorily demanding replies would occupy him, 
he shut himself in his own rooms. There Tom 
Burns found him and made his report. 

"Very satisfactory! Thank you, old fellow. 
Now dismiss me from your mind, and be sure 
to be in time, sharp, to-morrow morning. No, 
you needn't call for me! I'll come with Nappy. 
If two of us drive off together, people may sus- 
pect something. Half an hour before the cars 
leave? All right. — Make it three-quarters at 
least." 

"Nothing has been said about a physician," said 
Burns. "We forgot that!" 

Blake answered with a shrug and grimace: 
"Leave that to old Selden. The more you give 
him to do, the better he'll like it — fussy old party." 

"I was thinking I'd ask Dr. Berkeley." 

"Unthink it, then. Not a word! Not a breath 
to living soul or we might be interrupted. Any- 
thing but that! Of course, I've business letters to 
write and shall not appear again to-day. Don't 
you go moping about. Dance and behave as 
usual." 

His second, in a state of profound admiration, 



The Colonel's Story 257 

left him, and followed his advice. He resolved 
that so noble an example of manly courage and 
honorable sentiment should never be lost. As to 
Douglas, the day passed like a dream. From his 
window he saw Chester and Stanley duly led to 
the Berkeley cottage — for a countermanding order 
had been forgotten — and as duly dismissed. The 
Major has been vigilant, he reflected. He spoke 
to Mrs. Berkeley during the day, and she excused 
Shirley. "She hopes to see you to-morrow. To- 
day she needs rest." He wrote to his brother 
Harry at the University and gave the letter to the 
Major to be delivered in case of disaster to him- 
self. He referred Harry to Major Selden for all 
explanations, which were to be made also to Dr. 
Berkeley, and then committing himself and all he 
loved to the God of his fathers, he slept long and 
dreamlessly. 

The morning sun rose in all its glory, and as 
the Major, Douglas, and Dr. Caldwell passed 
through the Lover's Walk, the thrushes and robins 
poured out their morning song of praise. A car- 
riage was already, by their orders, waiting near 
the grounds, but out of sight. Tom Burns, in an 
agony of excitement, was pacing to and fro. The 
Doctor touched young Newton's wrist. "Sound 
as a dollar," he announced, "regular and full." 

The fateful hour was at hand, and Burns cast 
anxious glances around for his principal. The 



258 The White Sulphur Springs 

hour came. Blake had not yet appeared. Fifteen 
minutes more, — no signs of him. Presently a 
steam whistle announced the coming of the North- 
ern-bound train. Ten minutes more and the 
whistle signaled its departure. 

"We are here on a fool's errand," said Major 
Selden. "The coward has shirked the fight! Un- 
der no circumstances will we now grant it." 

"I do not renounce allegiance to Mr. Blake nor 
disown him utterly until further information," 
said Tom Burns, in a choking voice. "I am here 
as his representative, and I now offer to meet Mr. 
Newton in Mr. Blake's place." 

"We have no quarrel with this gentleman," said 
the Major. "We will now return to our head- 
quarters — and seek some refreshment after our 
morning's disappointment." 

At the hotel it was learned that Mr. Blake had 
settled his accounts the night before and left in 
the morning train, leaving no address. 

Douglas would gladly have returned at once to 
Newton Hall. Apart from his interest in Shirley, 
the gay watering-place, in his present state of mind, 
held no charm for him. He had come prepared 
to remain if his presence should be needed, but 
everything was now definitely settled. Blake was 
utterly extinguished — "snuffed out," as Major Sel- 
den said. "If he ever shows his face in Virginia, 
he'll wish he had never been born. It has been 



The Colonel's Story 259 

the greatest good luck," added the Major, "that 
only you and I knew the cause of the quarrel. I 
have been in terror lest somebody should suggest 
it. Nobody seems to have imagined it. You 
had just come, and an old grudge is supposed 
to have existed between you. The only thing 
they do know is that a challenge passed between 
you, and the challenger ran away. Of course 
young Burns, with all the wish in the world to be 
prudent, must have unconsciously let some word 
slip from him, look, gesture — something. Then 
the hack had driven up and driven away; the 
driver told all he knew, of course. And now here 
are the warrants from the County Court! We'll 
have to go to Lewisburg to obey them. We broke 
the laws, although there was no fight." 

Confronted with the Judge, the only witnesses 
— the Major, Douglas, Dr. Caldwell, and Burns 
— declared that they could not incriminate them- 
selves, and therefore could not answer; — and the 
Judge, as he had often done before on similar oc- 
casions, dismissed the case. "I hope," said Dr. 
Berkeley, "that Newton comes out of this affair 
unscathed." 

"The result proves it," the Major assured him, 
"and I think, Charles, I may say that my own 
participation goes for something. Make yourself 
easy! Douglas Newton has the highest place in 



260 The White Sulphur Springs 

my esteem, my admiration. I am proud to have 
served him." 

"I wonder," said Mrs. Berkeley to Shirley, "if 
Anne Page had anything to do with that quarrel? 
Douglas isn't the man to brook any interference 
with his rights." 

"You know as much as I do, Mama; I was not 
Anne's confidante." 

"But you might reasonably expect confidence 
from Douglas." 

"I might — but I did not have it. I feel that I 
know very little of Douglas Newton." 

Something in her tone arrested her mother. 
"My darling," she said tenderly, "we see too little 
of each other at this place. All the girls seem 
so happy, — I hope you are, too. Sometimes I 
wish I could just look right into that dear little 
heart of yours! Is it possible you felt an interest 
in—" 

"No, no, Mama darling; I know what you 
mean. If you look in my heart, you'll find your- 
self in every corner of it — and as to my interest 
in Mr. Blake, I refused him positively, decidedly, 
the morning before he left. He was very much 
surprised." 

"And you never told me!" 

"You never asked me, you know. Somehow I 
never like to tell such things. They are so un- 
pleasant. If a girl has to endure them now and 



The Colonel's Story 261 

then, she needn't make other people feel badly to 
hear about them. And I think a man must feel 
pretty badly, too. I think a girl should always 
try to avoid hurting the man who has certainly 
paid her a high compliment, — but if he will rush 
upon his fate, she should do the best she can for 
him. She ought to keep his secret as carefully as 
he keeps it himself. That's all there is about it," 
she concluded, kissing her mother fondly, and 
turning away that she might not betray herself. 

The hotel in great excitement had its theories, 
varying according to the diverse temperaments and 
experiences of its inmates. 

"I wonder if she had given him the mitten?" 
said the lady from Kentucky. 

"Looks like it," said General Robertson. "She 
might have had a little more consideration. 
Dancing men are scarce this season. To discard 
one of them in the middle of August is simply flat 
burglary." 

"I have a presentiment," said the lady, "that 
this is going to be an unfortunate season. Some- 
thing more is going to happen before we get away 
from here. First the old President descends upon 
us, engrossing everybody's attention, and then 
these young men absorb everybody! Attention due 
the young girls is all directed into other channels. 
But God forbid I should make you men vainer 
than you are already! You don't think small beer 



262 The White Sulphur Springs 

of yourselves! It is occasion for public thanks- 
giving if one of you gets the mitten. For my own 
part I did not consider Blake good enough for 
Shirley Berkeley." 

"Nor I," said the General. "What man is good 
enough for her? What man is good enough for 
any woman? None that I ever knew. However, 
the Lord made them to match each other. His 
will be done! God forbid I should fly in the face 
of Providence." 

"All of which comes well from you — you obsti- 
nate, delightful, hopeless old bachelor. But, seri- 
ously, you must stand by me, General, and help 
me. I haven't brought my daughters all the way 
from Kentucky to spend White Sulphur time dis- 
cussing a possible duel. We'd as well have stayed 
at home, where the duels actually come off! As 
soon as we get our breath after this flurry we must 
have a Bal Poudre with Spanish dances. I can 
coach Hazazar. I know the Saraband if he 
doesn't. Do, pray, keep the crowd in a good hu- 
mor for a while. We must make some effort — 
but I have my presentiment!" 



IX 

BATTLE OF WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS 

IN August, 1863, Gen. W. W. Averell com- 
menced a movement from the Valley of Vir- 
ginia for the purpose, as the Confederates 
understood, of destroying bridges on the Vir- 
ginia & Tennessee Railroad, and demolishing the 
Salt Works in Smythe County, Va. His force was 
made up of the Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cav- 
alry, the Second, Third, and Eighth West Virginia 
Cavalry, supported by Ewing's battery and one 
other section of artillery. Having crossed the 
mountains, he made his way to Randolph and Po- 
cahontas counties before he met with any oppo- 
sition. 

Gen. William E. Jones, commanding the Con- 
federates in that part of Virginia, had only a small 
force. Further to the south of the State, in 
Greenbrier, Monroe, and the Western Virginia 
counties, General Echols' brigade, then under the 
command of Col. George H. Patton, was on guard. 
This brigade was composed of the Twenty-second 
and Forty-fifth Regiments, the Twenty-sixth Bat- 

263 



264 The White Sulphur Springs 

talian of Virginia Infantry, — commanded by Col. 
George M. Edgar, — and Chapman's battery. 

When General Averell reached Randolph 
County General Jones fell back in his front, but 
wherever opportunity presented itself he did not 
fail to harass and impede General Averell's ad- 
vance. Colonel Patton was ordered from the 
Greenbrier section to reenforce General Jones in 
Pocahontas, and started with his brigade to that 
county. When he reached the lower end of Poca- 
hontas, he found that General Averell, impeded as 
he was by General Jones, had crossed the moun- 
tains in the direction of Warm Springs, or Coving- 
ton. After consultation General Jones and Colonel 
Patton came to the conclusion that General Averell 
would endeavor to cross from Covington, pass by 
White Sulphur, and go through Monroe County 
to the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad; so the Bri- 
gade was countermarched, with the purpose of 
reaching the junction of the Anthony's Creek 
Road and the James River and Kanawha Turn- 
pike, near the White Sulphur. Celerity was ab- 
solutely necessary, for, if General Averell should 
pass White Sulphur, there would be no force 
to prevent his reaching the railroad and doing im- 
mense injury to the line of transportation and 
communication between Richmond and Tennes- 
see, and the country to the west. The march, there- 




r— N 



Battle of White Sulphur Springs 265 

fore, was continued throughout the night of the 
twenty-fifth of August. 

It was a custom in the Confederate Army when 
on a march, especially if it were a hurried march, 
for the regiments to take turn about in marching 
in the van. The change of front was usually made 
when the column halted for rest. When Colonel 
Patton's brigade had reached a point on the An- 
thony's Creek Road, about four miles from the 
James River and Kanawha Turnpike, the brigade 
was halted for a rest. At this halt the turn came 
for the Twenty-sixth Battalion to take position in 
the front, which it did, marching past the other 
regiments; but, instead of halting for the accus- 
tomed rest, Colonel Edgar decided to march 
straightway for the turnpike. 

The battlefield of White Sulphur is approached 
by a narrow valley, along which is the old James 
River and Kanawha Turnpike, and by the An- 
thony's Creek Road, which joins the James River 
and Kanawha Turnpike about the middle of the 
little valley. The Union troops, under General 
Averell and Col. J. M. Schoonmaker, approached 
the battlefield by the James River and Kanawha 
Turnpike. The Confederate troops, under 
Colonel Patton and Colonel Edgar, came by way 
of the Anthony's Creek Road. 

The Anthony's Creek Road and the James River 
and Kanawha Turnpike are nearly at right angles 



266 The White Sulphur Springs 

with each other. At the meeting of the roads 
there stood, — and it yet remains, — a little frame 
house that was in the midst of the hottest part of 
the conflict. The little weatherboarded house, 
built of roughly sawed timber, is scarred with the 
bullets of the small arms, and through the gable 
is still to be seen the aperture made by a ten- 
pound solid shot. 

The gorge opens into a gently undulating val- 
ley, bounded on the right by a hill, the crest of 
which was wooded, and the lower part of which 
was a cornfield. This hill gently slopes toward 
Wade's Creek, and on the Wade's Creek side the 
valley is bounded by precipitous bluffs, on which 
grew at that time small cedars and other moun- 
tain growth. 

When the head of Colonel Edgar's column 
reached the turnpike the skirmishers of the Fed- 
eral Army were in sight, approaching the junc- 
tion of the two roads. Colonel Edgar at once 
tore down the fences along the road and made a 
barricade, which extended from the creek, at the 
foot of the cliff, across the turnpike to the foot 
of the main rise of the hill where the cornfield 
then was. This field is now cleared, and the 
fence that surrounded it was destroyed by Colonel 
Edgar to make the barricade. This barricade was 
a few feet on the White Sulphur Springs side of 
the sugar maple tree, which is still vigorous, and 




te, 



Battle of White Sulphur Springs 267 

which, having stood in the midst of the fight, still 
bears, in plain sight, the scars of the bullets upon 
its trunk. 

Though the barricade was hurriedly constructed 
of fence rails, roughly placed, it formed a fair 
defense against a cavalry charge. The Union 
troops immediately charged up the valley and at- 
tempted to break through the hasty fortification. 
Under Colonel Patton's command a splendid re- 
sistance was made, and a desperate fight ensued, 
which lasted from the first onset of the Union sol- 
diers until the next day, when the battle termi- 
nated. 

The Confederates placed their battery upon 
the crest of the field to the left of the Anthony's 
Creek Road. This was on the ridge behind the 
present frame house. This house has been con- 
structed since the war. 

The Union battery was on the same side of the 
creek, inside the fence and just back of the log 
house, about fifty yards above the line of the fence 
and the present road, and was situated about seven 
hundred yards from the Confederate batteries. 
The Confederates, after the first charge by the 
Union Cavalry, themselves charged the Union 
forces, but were driven back; whereupon the turn- 
pike on the other side of the intersection of the 
Anthony's Creek Road became the scene of re- 
peated charges of both the Union and Confederate 



268 The White Sulphur Springs 

troops. An eyewitness tells me that the whole 
road, down to the frame house that now stands by 
the road, which occupies the site of the old Miller 
residence, was strewn with dead and wounded sol- 
diers. The Miller residence was set on fire by 
shells from the Union battery. This was done 
by order of General Averell to prevent the South- 
ern forces from occupying the house as a forti- 
fication. 

The Union troops made an effort to flank the 
Confederate forces by coming up the rise just on 
the other side of the Miller residence, crossing 
the creek, and ascending the bluff. However, 
they were checked in this movement, which re- 
sulted in much bitter fighting on the bluff and in 
Wade's Creek that flows under this declivity. Nor 
were the Union troops ever able to get through 
the Confederate line, though they made another 
attempt to reach the Anthony's Creek Road by 
going through the woods on the crest of the hill 
above the cleared land. At this place developed 
a sharpshooters' fight, and again the Union forces 
were driven back. Along the road and in the bot- 
tom of the creek there was desperate fighting. 

The Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, under 
command of Col. J. M. Schoonmaker and Captain 
Bird, charged through the bottom up to the line 
of the fortification, and a desperate hand-to-hand 
combat took place between the opposing forces, 




Sh 



Battle of White Sulphur Springs 269 

— the Confederates, with musket and bayonet, re- 
sisting the attack, and the Union soldiers, with 
saber, attempting to break the Confederate line. 
An old soldier, a veteran of twenty-seven battles, 
informed the writer that this charge of the bar- 
ricade was one of the most desperate combats that 
he witnessed during the whole war. The fight 
was kept up during the entire day. All the bat- 
teries were at short range and were firing round 
shot, grape, and canister. 

As the writer pens these lines he has on his 
table a solid shot fired at Derrick's battalion, which 
came up on the afternoon of the first day to 
strengthen the Confederate line where it was in 
danger of being outflanked on the crest of the hill. 
The battle during this day, considering the num- 
ber of soldiers engaged, was one of the most des- 
perate fights of the war. The Fourteenth Penn- 
sylvania Cavalry lost on the first day one hundred 
and three men. When the battle ended it was 
night, and the soldiers of each side slept on their 
arms. 

Senator Preston told the writer that one of the 
officers in this engagement informed him that a 
conference was held that night by the commanders 
of the Confederates and also one by the Union 
commanders, and that it was agreed at both con- 
ferences to retreat; but, when the morning came, 
neither General Averell nor Colonel Patton would 



270 The White Sulphur Springs 

carry out the decrees of the conference. The next 
morning, therefore, the fight was renewed. The 
battle changed from the right to the left of the 
line, and the Federals, after a fierce combat, were 
repelled by a Confederate bayonet charge and 
were driven down the gorge from the main field 
of battle. The Union forces, pressed by the Con- 
federate troops, fell back six or eight miles, and 
all day there was practically a rear-guard action, 
the Federals building barricades across the roads 
and gallantly resisting the attacks of the South- 
erners. 

General Averell, in his report, speaks of the re- 
enforcement of the Confederate troops during the 
night. This has been proved a mistake, since the 
entire Confederate force in that part of Virginia 
was in the battle from the beginning, and no new 
troops came to their help. At the close of the 
conflict the Confederates' ammunition was prac- 
tically exhausted, and the ammunition of the Fed- 
eral troops, especially that of the batteries, was 
almost totally spent. This action was of greater 
importance than would be indicated by the num- 
ber of men engaged in the fight, since it kept the 
Union forces from getting control of this section 
of the country, and effectually prevented their de- 
stroying the Confederate communications to the 
south and southwest. 

The Dixon house, on the right hand side of the 



Battle of White Sulphur Springs 271 

road, stands practically intact, — just as it stood 
during the time of the battle. It was repeatedly 
struck by the flying bullets and it was used as a 
hospital for both sides. The old log house on 
the left hand side of the road was also used as 
a hospital, and over three hundred amputations 
were made in this building, the legs and arms 
being thrown out of the windows, making a grue- 
some pile, which rose as high as the window sills. 

One of the guns of Ewing's battery was struck 
on the muzzle by a solid shot, fired by the Con- 
federate battery. The impact broke off a piece 
about a foot and a half long. At the time, this 
gun was in the road where it was abandoned by 
the Union forces, and it remained above the sur- 
face until a short time ago, having been gradually 
covered by the mud of the little swamp on the 
edge of which it lay. The writer has started an 
investigation to ascertain its whereabouts, and, if 
found, it will be put in the West Virginia Mu- 
seum as a record of the desperate gallantry of 
the soldiers who wore the blue and of those that 
wore the gray. 

This region was, during the whole War of Se- 
cession, the debatable land. The mountain peo- 
ple were, many of them, for the Union, while 
those in the large valleys were slaveholders, and 
joined the Confederacy. Thus neighbor was prac- 
tically pitted against neighbor, and friends, living 



272 The White Sulphur Springs 

in the same county and district, confronted one 
another in deadly conflict. The majority of the 
troops engaged in this fight were Virginians, and 
throughout this entire region the conflicts were 
marked with desperation, while the White Sul- 
phur was the heart of this internecine contest, its 
buildings, which were used more frequently by the 
Confederates than by the Union forces, being 
utilized as hospitals during a great part of the 
war. 

Though commonly known as the Battle of Dry 
Creek, this engagement should be named rather 
the Battle of the White Sulphur. It marked an 
era in the war in Western Virginia. To-day in 
the quiet valley only the scars on the trees and the 
monument of a gallant Union soldier remain to 
attest that here once was the hiss of the bullet, 
the bursting of the shell, and the wild scream of 
the charge. The pellucid creek flows on its way 
unpolluted with the blood of brothers, and the 
lobelia, the mountain hemlock, and the yarrow, un- 
der the bright and beautiful sunlight of the West 
Virginia mountains, modestly grow and shed their 
sweet perfume over the quiet land that once echoed 
with the wild alarms of battling soldiery. 

In order that the reader may have, at first hand, 
the best information, I subjoin accounts of both 
the Union and Confederate commanders at the 




ft. 



Battle of White Sulphur Springs 273 

Battle of the White Sulphur and the Battle of 
Lewisburg. 



BATTLE OF WHITE SULPHUR 

REPORT OF THE CONFEDERATE COMMANDER 

The report of Maj.-Gen. Samuel Jones, C. S. 
Army, commanding the Department of Western 
Virginia, of operations, August 20-27, 1863, with 
congratulatory orders, is as follows: 

Headquarters Dept. of Western Virginia, 

Sweet Springs, 

August 21, 1863. 
General: 

The enemy, 800 strong, was at Monterey yester- 
day. Another column reported coming from 
Franklin by McDowell, supposed to be going to 
Staunton. Colonel Jackson has fallen back from 
Huntersville to Back Creek to get in their rear, 
if they go to Staunton. I have ordered a regi- 
ment of infantry to Little Levels, and four com- 
panies of cavalry to Marling's Bottom, the latter 
to scout toward Beverly and Monterey, and harass 
the enemy if opportunity offers. You can send 
troops to Staunton, if they are needed, sooner than 
I can. Can you send Colonel Wharton's com- 
mand? 



274 The White Sulphur Springs 

I saw your family at the "Warm" yesterday. 
All are well as usual. Sam Jones, 

Major-General. 
General R. E. Lee, Commanding, &c. 

White Sulphur Springs, 27th, via Dublin, 

August 28, 1863. 
General: 

We met the enemy yesterday morning about a 
mile and a half from this place on road to the 
Warm Springs. Fought from 9 a. m. to 7 p. m. 
Every attack made by the enemy was repulsed. 
At night each side occupied the same position 
they had in the morning. This morning the enemy 
made two other attacks, which were handsomely 
repulsed, when he abandoned his position and re- 
treated toward Warm Springs, pursued by cavalry 
and artillery. 

The troops engaged were the First Brigade of 
this army, Col. George S. Patton commanding; 
the enemy, about 3,000 and 6 pieces of artillery, 
under Brigadier-General Averell. 

Our loss, about 200 killed and wounded. En- 
emy's loss not known. We have taken about 150 
prisoners and a piece of artillery. 

Sam Jones, 
Major-General [C. S. A.] 
General S. Cooper, 

Adjutant and Inspector-General. 



Battle of White Sulphur Springs 2J$ 

Reports of Federal Commander 

The report of Brig.-Gen. William W. Averell, 
U. S. Army, of operations August 5-31, 1863, says: 

Huttonsville, Va., August 30, 1863. 
General: 

I have the honor to report the safe return of 
my command to this place after an expedition 
through the counties of Hardy, Pendleton, High- 
land, Bath, Greenbrier and Pocahontas. We drove 
General Jackson out of Pocahontas and over the 
Warm Springs Mountain in a series of skirmishes; 
destroyed their saltpeter works; burned Camp 
Northwest and a large amount of arms, equip- 
ments and stores; fought a severe engagement with 
a superior force under command of Maj.-Gen. 
Samuel Jones and Colonel Patton at Rocky Gap, 
near White Sulphur Springs. 

The battle lasted during two days. We drove 
the enemy from his first position, but the want 
of ammunition, and the arrival on the second day 
of three regiments to reenforce the enemy from 
the direction whence the cooperation of General 
Scammon had been promised, decided me to with- 
draw. My command was withdrawn in good or- 
der, with the loss of only two men during the 
operation. 

Our loss in the battle is probably over 100 of- 



276 The White Sulphur Springs 

ficers and men killed and wounded, among whom 
are Capt. Paul Baron von Koenig, aide-de-camp, 
killed while leading an assault upon the enemy's 
right, and Major McNally, Second (West) Vir- 
ginia, and Captain Ewing, artillery, dangerously 
wounded. I have reason to believe the enemy's 
loss equal to, if not greater, than our own. 

One Parrott gun burst the first day, and, becom- 
ing worthless, was abandoned. Great efforts up 
to noon to-day have been made by the combined 
forces of Imboden and Jackson to prevent our 
return, but without success. 

We have brought in over 30 prisoners, includ- 
ing a major and two or three lieutenants, a large 
number of cattle, horses, &c. Your aide-de-camp, 
Lieut. J. R. Meigs, who accompanied me, is safe. 

I am, General, very respectfully, your obedi- 
ent servant, 

Wm. W. Averell, 

Brigadier-General. 
Brigadier-General Kelley. 

Hdqrs. 4TH Separate Brigade, 8th Army Corps. 

Beverly, W. Va., 

September 1, 1863. 
General: 

I have the honor to submit the following re- 
port of the operations of my brigade from the 
time I assumed command of it to this date: 



Battle of White Sulphur Springs 277 

On August 5, I left Winchester and marched 
over North Mountain to Wardensville, 28 miles. 
A lieutenant and 10 men of Imboden's command 
were captured on the way by Captain von Koe- 
nig, who led the advance during the day. I ar- 
rived at Moorefield with my command at 8:30 p. 
m. on the 6th, after a tedious march of 30 miles 
over a difficult road. 

At Lost River a company of the Fourteenth 
Pennsylvania was sent to Moorefield, via Har- 
per's Mills, where it captured a lieutenant and 
a party of the enemy, but subsequently, falling 
into an ambush after dark, lost its prisoners and 
13 men captured. Four of the Fourteenth Penn- 
sylvania were wounded, and 3 of the enemy were 
killed and 5 wounded. 

On the 9th, left Moorefield and marched to 
Petersburg, 11 miles, leaving Gibson's battalion 
on the South Fork. My command was at this 
time badly in want of horseshoes and nails, cloth- 
ing and ammunition, requisitions for which had 
been made by my quartermaster, at Cumberland, 
on the 7th. 

The order of Brigadier-General Kelley to move 
was received on the 15th, at Petersburg, but it 
was not until noon of the 17th that horseshoe nails 
arrived. Some ammunition for Ewing's battery 
was also received, but I was unable to increase my 
supply for small arms, which amounted to about 



278 The White Sulphur Springs 

thirty-five cartridges to each man. This was suf- 
ficient for any ordinary engagement, but we had a 
long march before us, entirely in the country oc- 
cupied by the enemy, and I felt apprehensive that 
the supply would be exhausted before the expe- 
dition should be ended. 

It was my opinion that the delay which would 
ensue by awaiting the arrival of ammunition 
would be more dangerous to us than undertaking 
the expedition with the supply we had. There- 
fore, on the 1 8th, Colonel Oley, of the Eighth 
(West) Virginia, was sent, with his regiment, up 
the North Fork of the South Branch of the Po- 
tomac, and Gibson's battalion up the South Fork, 
and on the morning of the 19th I, moved with the 
Third (West) Virginia, Fourteenth Pennsylvania 
Cavalry and Ewing's battery nearly to Franklin, 
sending forward two squadrons to destroy the salt- 
peter works five miles above. 

On the 20th, proceeded up the South Branch 
to Monterey, over a rough road, the Eighth 
(West) Virginia and Gibson's battalion joining 
the column on the march. A few guerrillas were 
captured on the road. 

At Monterey the quarterly court was found in 
session. Upon my arrival it was adjourned and 
the principal officials arrested. It was learned 
that Imboden had been there the day previous to 
hold a conference with Maj.-Gen. Samuel Jones 



Battle of JVi ite Sulphur Springs 279 

upon the subject of attacking me at Petersburg. 
The road to Huntersville was taken on the 21st 
as far as Gibson's Store, my advance, conducted 
by Lieutenant Rumsey, aide-de-camp, driving 
about 300 of the enemy before it, during the 
march, to within five miles of Huntersville. 

Our casualties during the day were only 4 
wounded, and 6 horses killed and disabled, al- 
though constantly annoyed by shots from guerrillas 
who infested the bushes along the way. 

Learning during the night of the 21st that the 
enemy had assumed a position in a ravine about 
three miles from Huntersville, which was difficult 
to carry on account of the precipitous character 
of the sides, I made a false advance on the 22nd 
with Gibson's battalion, while the main body, tak- 
ing a by-road to the right, reached Huntersville 
without meeting resistance, rendering the position 
of the enemy useless to him and causing him to 
retire in haste toward Warm Springs. 

Colonel Oley, with the Eighth (West) Virginia 
and one squadron of the Third (West) Virginia, 
was sent after the retreating enemy and overtook 
his rear guard at Camp Northwest, from whence 
it was driven several miles. Camp Northwest 
was burned and destroyed, with commissary build- 
ings and stores, blacksmith shops, several wagons, 
a number of Enfield rifles, gun equipments, and a 
quantity of wheat and flour at a mill nearby. A 



280 The White Sulphur Springs 

large number of canteens, stretchers and hospital 
supplies fell into our hands. 

The 23rd was spent at Huntersville awaiting the 
arrival of the Second and Tenth (West) Virginia. 
The Tenth and a detachment of about 350 of the 
Second (West) Virginia, and a section of Keeper's 
battery, arrived during the day from the direction 
of Beverly. The Second had 40 rounds of ammu- 
nition per man, with 1,000 rounds additional, 
which were transferred to the Third (West) Vir- 
ginia. During the day, a reconnoissance under 
Lieutenant-Colonel Polsley, Eighth (West) Vir- 
ginia, was made toward Warm Springs. One lieu- 
tenant and 5 men of the enemy were captured and 
12 killed and wounded. Our loss was only 5 horses 
shot. 

On the 24th, the march was resumed toward 
Warm Springs, through which Jackson and his 
forces were driven over the mountains east of that 
place toward Millborough. Our losses during 
the day were 2 men severely wounded, some 
slightly hurt, and a few horses shot. Captured 
many arms, saddles, and other stores from the en- 
emy. 

The forces under Jackson having been driven 
out of Pocahontas County too soon to permit them 
to form a junction with any other bodies of the 
enemy, and the prospect of overtaking him being 
very small, I determined to turn my column 



Battle of White Sulphur Springs 281 

toward Lewisburg, hoping that my movement up 
to the Warm Springs had led the enemy to believe 
that I was on my way to his depots in the vicinity 
of Staunton. I relied also upon some cooperation 
from the direction of Summerville. I therefore 
sent the Tenth (West) Virginia back to Hunters- 
ville, and on the 25th made a rapid march of 25 
miles to Callaghan's, in Alleghany County, de- 
stroying the saltpeter works on Jackson's River on 
my way. Arrived at Callaghan's, reconnoitering 
parties were sent toward Covington and Sweet 
Springs. Some wagons of the enemy were cap- 
tured near Covington and the saltpeter works in 
that vicinity destroyed. 

At 4 a. m. on the 26th, my column was formed, 
en route to White Sulphur Springs, in the follow- 
ing order, viz. : 

1. Advance guard, under charge of Captain von 
Koenig, consisting of two companies of the Sec- 
ond (West) Virginia and two companies of the 
Eighth (West) Virginia. 

2. Second (West) Virginia Mounted Infantry. 

3. Eighth (West) Virginia Mounted Infantry. 

4. Gibson's battalion. 

5. Ewing's battery. 

6. Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry. 

7. Third (West) Virginia Mounted Infantry. 
The road crossed two mountain ranges before 

10 miles had been traveled over. About 9:30 a. 



282 The White Sulphur Springs 

m., when about 12 miles from Callaghan's, a mes- 
sage from Captain Koenig was received by me, at 
the head of the column, that the enemy were re- 
sisting his advance, and desiring reinforcements. 
A squadron of the Second was sent on at a trot, 
and a squadron of the Eighth ordered forward. 
A few minutes elapsed, when the enemy's cannon 
announced his purpose of disputing our further 
progress and indicated his strength. 

I at once started the column forward at a rapid 
gait down through a narrow pass, which soon 
opened out into a little valley a mile long, inclosed 
on each side by rugged rocky heights, covered with 
a stunted growth of pine, oak and chestnut trees. 
At the opening the projectiles from the enemy's 
cannon first struck the head of our column. A 
jutting cliff on the right afforded protection for 
the horses of the Second and Eighth, and the dis- 
mounted men of the Second were at once ordered 
to the summit of the ridge on our right and the 
squadron of the Eighth dismounted to the hill on 
our left. A section of Ewing's battery was brought 
up rapidly and planted on the first available po- 
sition, where it opened briskly and with great ac- 
curacy. 

The squadron of the Eighth, ordered to the left, 
mistook the direction in some way, and found it- 
self on the right with the Second (West) Vir- 
ginia. The main body of the Eighth (West) Vir- 





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Battle of White Sulphur Springs 283 

ginia, led by Colonel Oley, however, soon made 
their way to the crest on our left. The Third 
(West) Virginia and Fourteenth Pennsylvania 
were ordered forward, and came to the front dis- 
mounted very soon. 

I beg to call your attention to the fact that my 
column of horses, nearly four miles long, was now 
in a narrow gorge, and that during the time neces- 
sary for the Third (West) Virginia and Four- 
teenth Pennsylvania to arrive at the front, it was 
necessary that Ewing, supported only by the ad- 
vance guard, should maintain his position against 
an attack of the enemy's artillery and infantry 
combined. The Second on the right, and the 
Eighth on the left, afforded some support, but 
Ewing's battery, with canister, not only resisted 
the approach of the enemy, but actually advanced 
upon him, in order to obtain a better position, and 
held him at bay until the arrival of the Four- 
teenth Pennsylvania and Third (West) Virginia, 
which were at once deployed to the right and left 
of the road, thus filling up the gap in my line. 

The enemy gave away his position to us, and 
endeavored to assume another about half a mile in 
rear of the first, with his right resting upon a 
rugged prominence, his center and left protected 
by a temporary stockade, which he had formed 
of fence rails. I resolved to dislodge him before 



284 The White Sulphur Springs 

he should become well established, and then, if 
possible, to rout him from the field. 

One of the guns of Ewing had burst, and the 
other five were advanced to within 600 yards of 
the enemy. Captain Koenig was sent to advance 
the Third and Eighth, and orders were sent to 
the right also to advance. Gibson's battalion was 
thrown into a house and the surrounding in- 
cisures which stood in front of the enemy's cen- 
ter. The enemy clung tenaciously to the wooded 
hill on their right, and Gibson's battalion was 
driven from the house by a regiment of the en- 
emy which at that moment arrived upon the field. 
I immediately caused the house to be set on fire 
by shells, which prevented the enemy from oc- 
cupying it. 

The right was able to gain only a short dis- 
tance by hard fighting. It then became an affair 
of sharpshooters along the whole line at a dis- 
tance of less than 100 yards. The effort which 
my men had made in scaling a succession of 
heights on either hand had wearied them almost 
to exhaustion. A careful fire was kept up by small 
arms for three hours, it being almost impossible 
for either side to advance or retire. During this 
time I reconnoitered the position, going from the 
hills on the right to the left. 

At about 4 p. m. I determined to make another 
effort to carry the position. A squadron of the 



Battle of White Sulphur Springs 285 

Fourteenth Pennsylvania, which had not been dis- 
mounted, was brought up and instructions sent to 
the commanders along the line that a cavalry 
charge was about to be made on the enemy's cen- 
ter, and directing them to act in concert. The 
charge was splendidly made by Captain Bird, of 
the Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, who led his 
men until he came to a stockade which the en- 
emy had thrown across the road. 

Orders had been given to the officers command- 
ing the regiments on the right to press forward 
at the same time and endeavor to gain the An- 
thony's Creek Road, which came in on the enemy's 
left. The order to the Second to advance was 
conveyed by Lieutenant Combs, and the Adjutant 
of that regiment, who, failing to find the Colonel 
commanding the regiment in time, delivered the 
order to that portion of the regiment nearest to 
him. 

Major McNally, on the right, and Lieutenant 
Combs, on the left, of the regiment, with less than 
100 men, advanced on the enemy's line and drove 
them out of the stockade, but, being unsupported 
by the remainder of the regiment, were forced to 
fall back, leaving Major McNally mortally 
wounded in the hands of the enemy. 

The effect of the cavalry charge was to cause 
about 300 of the enemy to run away from the 
stockade, exposing themselves to a deadly fire from 



286 The White Sulphur Springs 

the Fourteenth Pennsylvania, Colonel Schoon- 
maker, but their position was soon regained by 
their reserves. No united effort was made to 
attain the road on the extreme right, as directed. 

Reports soon reached me from all parts of the 
line that ammunition was falling short. The 
slackened firing of the enemy evidently indicated 
that his supply was not plentiful. 

The night came with no change in position and 
no tidings from the west, whence General Scam- 
mon was expected. During the night all the am- 
munition in the wagons was brought up and 
equitably distributed, and every available man was 
brought to the front. 

It was quite evident to my mind that if the re- 
sistance of the enemy was kept up, I could go no 
farther in that direction. It was impossible to 
retire during the night without disorder, and per- 
haps disaster. By remaining until morning two 
chances remained with me — first, the enemy might 
retreat, and, second, Scammon might arrive. 

The morning [August 27th] showed us that both 
chances had failed; that the enemy had received 
ammunition, and that reinforcements were com- 
ing to him from the direction of Lewisburg. The 
battle was renewed, but every arrangement made 
in rear for a prompt withdrawal. The ambu- 
lances loaded with wounded, the caissons, wagons, 
and long columns of horses were placed in proper 



Battle of White Sulphur Springs 287 

order upon the road, details made for the attend- 
ance of the wounded, trees prepared to fall across 
the gorge when our artillery should have passed, 
and commanding officers received their instruc- 
tions. The enemy's reinforcements arrived and 
attempted to turn my left about 10 a. m. 

At 10:30 o'clock the order to retire was given, 
and in forty-five minutes from that time my 
column was moving off in good order, my rear 
guard at the barricades repulsing the enemy's ad- 
vance twice before it left the ground. Succes- 
sive barricades were formed, and my column 
reached Callaghan's about 5 p. m., where it was 
halted, fires built, and the men and horses given 
the first opportunity to eat for thirty-six hours. 
After dark the fires were left burning and the 
column took the road to Warm Springs. 

A scouting party of the enemy in front of us 
had left word with the citizens that Jackson was 
at Gatewood's, with a strong force. This shallow 
attempt at deception did not deter us from march- 
ing to that point, where we arrived at daylight on 
the 28th. 

At 9 a. m. the march was resumed to Hunters- 
ville, without interruption, but with considerable 
annoyance from guerrillas. At evening we 
marched to Greenbrier Bridge, or Marling's Bot- 
tom, where Colonel Harris, with the Tenth 
(West) Virginia, was posted. The ensuing day 



288 The White Sulphur Springs 

the command moved to Big Spring, where it was 
ascertained that a party of the enemy had entered 
the road before us for the purpose of blockad- 
ing it. 

At 2 a. m. on the 30th, we were again en route, 
and at daylight came upon a blockade, half a 
mile long, made by felling large trees across the 
road. While delayed in cutting it out the ani- 
mals were fed, and a strong blockade made in 
rear. 

The command arrived at Beverly on August 31, 
having marched, since June 10, 636 miles, exclu- 
sive of the distance passed over by railroad and 
of the marches made by detachments, which 
would increase the distance for the entire com- 
mand to at least 1,000 miles. 

This command has been mounted, equipped and 
drilled; has marched over 600 miles through a 
rugged, mountainous region, fighting the enemy 
almost daily; had one severe battle; destroyed the 
camps of the enemy; captured large amounts of 
supplies and 266 prisoners, in less than 80 days. 

The strength of the enemy opposed to me in 
the engagement at Rocky Gap was 2,500, as near 
as could be ascertained by observations and from 
the reports of prisoners, and also from statements 
of rebel officers. I did not have 1,300 men in the 
front the first day. 

I inclose tabular statement of my loss; also the 



Battle of White Sulphur Springs 289 

report of the medical director, and a copy of or- 
ders received from Brigadier-General Kelley at 
Petersburg. 

I cannot conclude this report without expressing 
my high commendation of the conduct of the of- 
ficers and men of my command, who, heretofore 
accustomed to a lax discipline, have yielded to 
me always a cheerful obedience. With few ex- 
ceptions, their behavior in battle has been worthy 
of great praise. 

Among those who particularly distinguished 
themselves in action for gallantry and ability I 
would mention the following officers, viz. : 

Capt. Paul von Koenig, aide-de-camp, killed. 

First (West) Virginia Artillery: Capt. C. T. 
Ewing, wounded. 

Second (West) Virginia Mounted Infantry: 
Maj. P. McNally, died of wounds. 

Eighth (West) Virginia Mounted Infantry: 
Capts. W. L.f Gardner, W. H. H. Parker, and 
Lieut. J. A. Morehart, killed. 

Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry: Capt. John 
Bird, wounded and prisoner: Lieuts. John W. 
McNutt, M. W. Wilson, James Jackson and Ja- 
cob Schoop, wounded. 

I was greatly indebted to the following named 
officers for their untiring energy and hearty co- 
operation during the battle: Lieuts. J. R. Meigs, 
of the Engineers, U. S. Army, and Will Rumsey, 



290 The White Sulphur Springs 

Capt. C. F. Trowbridge, and Lieut. L. Mark- 
breit, aides-de-camp; Maj. T. F. Land, acting As- 
sistant Inspector-General; Lieut. G. H. North, As- 
sistant Quartermaster; Cols. J. M. Schoonmaker, 
Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, and J. H. Oley, 
Eighth (West) Virginia Mounted Infantry; 
Lieuts. J. Combs, Adjutant Second (West) Vir- 
ginia Mounted Infantry, and B. H. H. Atkinson, 
Battery B, First (West) Virginia Artillery. 

I regret to report that Capt. Robert Pollock, 
Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, failed to make 
his appearance within view of the enemy and re- 
mained behind in a secluded place, with most of 
his company, where, I am informed, he was found 
asleep by the enemy after the command had been 
withdrawn. 

Capt. James K. Billingsly, Second (West) Vir- 
ginia Mounted Infantry, was too much intoxicated 
to perform his duties properly. He will be 
brought before a general court martial. 

Respectfully submitted. 

Wm. W. Averell, 
Brigadier-General of Volunteers. 
Brig.-Gen. Lorenzo Thomas, 

Adjutant-General. 



Battle of White Sulphur Springs 291 

BATTLE OF LEWISBURG 
REPORT OF FEDERAL COMMANDER 

Flat Top, May 24, 1862. 
My Third Brigade, Colonel Crook command- 
ing, was attacked yesterday morning at Lewisburg 
by General Heth, with 3,000 men, and after a 
lively engagement he [sic] routed them and they 
fled in confusion. Four of the enemy's cannon, 200 
stand of arms and 100 prisoners taken. Our loss, 
10 killed and about 40 wounded. 

J. D. Cox, 
Brigadier-General, Commanding District. 
Col. Albert Tracy, 

Assistant Adjutant-General. 

report of confederate commander 

Union, Monroe County, Va., 
May 23, 1862. 
General: 

I have the honor to state that after the rout of 
Cox's army by the combined forces of General 
Johnson and my own I at once concluded to attack 
the force at Lewisburg, and was the more deter- 
mined upon this course when I learned that the 
enemy had divided his force at Lewisburg and 
sent a portion of it in the direction of Covington. 
This plan was communicated to you on assuming 



292 The White Sulphur Springs 

the command of the department; in fact, the move- 
ment had then already commenced. 

I proceeded rapidly in the direction of Lewis- 
burg. I had the most accurate information of 
the enemy's force in every respect. He numbered 
about 1,500 men (infantry) — two regiments — two 
mountain howitzers, and about 150 cavalry. The 
force I led against him numbered about 2,000 in- 
fantry, three batteries and about 100 cavalry. 

My chance of success was good, provided I 
could surprise the enemy and get into position. 
This I succeeded in doing far beyond my expec- 
tation. Most of his pickets were captured, and 
I attained without firing a shot that position in 
front of Lewisburg which I would have selected. 

The enemy retired to a range of hills corre- 
sponding in height on the west side of the town. 

As my regiments and batteries arrived they 
were deployed as follows: 

Finney's battalion on the left, the Forty-fifth 
Regiment in the center, and the Twenty-second 
Virginia Regiment on the right; Lieutenant- 
Colonel Cook's battalion of dismounted men, 
Eighth Virginia Cavalry, as the reserve. 

While deploying and getting my batteries into 
position, the enemy, evidently in order to cover 
the retreat of his wagons, threw forward his small- 
est regiment, sending one-half to the right and 



Battle of White Sulphur Springs 293 

the other to the left of the main approach to the 
town. 

I advanced to meet him. I directed Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel Finney, commanding battalion, to 
occupy a small body of oak timber. In doing 
this Colonel Finney had to cross a wheat field. 
The enemy, numbering only three companies, 
opened upon his battalion a very severe fire, which 
possibly compelled his command to fall back. At 
this time the left of the enemy was in full retreat. 

One of those causeless panics for which there 
is no accounting seized upon my command. Vic- 
tory was in my grasp, instead of which I have to 
admit a most disgraceful retreat. 

The field officers, among whom none were more 
conspicuous than the gallant Lieutenant-Colonel 
Finney, as well as some few captains, threw them- 
selves between the enemy and their retreating 
men, but threats and persuasions were alike un- 
availing. The result is, we mourn the loss of many 
a brave officer. 

The only excuse that can be offered for the dis- 
graceful behavior of three regiments and batteries 
is that they are filled with conscripts and newly of- 
ficered UNDER THE ELECTION SYSTEM. 

I cannot as yet ascertain our exact loss, but will 
furnish you reports at my earliest convenience. 
By far the greater portion of the casualties was 
among the officers — a consequence of the panic. 



294 The White Sulphur Springs 

I do not wish to be understood as shifting the 
responsibility of what has occurred upon the 
shoulders of my troops, for as a general is the re- 
cipient of honors gained, so he should bear his 
proportion of the result of the disaster. I simply 
give you a plain statement of facts apparent to 
all present. 

I move to-morrow or next day to my original 
position at The Narrows, as the tents of my com- 
mand are there. 

I have the honor to be, &c, 

H. Heth, 
Brigadier-General. 
Maj.-Gen. W. W. Loring, 

Commanding, Department of Southwest Vir- 
ginia. 



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X 

THEIR PILGRIMAGE 1 

BY CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER 

THE NATURAL BRIDGE AND THE WHITE SULPHUR, 

1903 

WHAT occurred at the parting between 
the artist and the little Lamont at Bar 
Harbor I never knew. There was 
that good comradeship between the 
two, that frank enjoyment of each other's so- 
ciety, without any sentimental nonsense, so often 
seen between two young people in America, 
which may end in a friendship of a summer, 
or extend to the cordial esteem of a lifetime, or 
result in marriage. I always liked the girl; she 
had such a sunny temper, such a flow of original- 
ity in her mental attitude towards people and 
things without being a wit or a critic, and so 
much piquancy in all her little ways. She would 

1 Copyright, 1886, by Harper & Brothers, and, 1914, by Susan Lee 
Warner, to whose courtesy I am indebted for the use of these chap- 
ters. — W. A. M. 

295 



296 The White Sulphur Springs 

take to matrimony, I should say, like a duck to 
water, with unruffled plumage, but as a wife she 
would never be commonplace, or anything but 
engaging, and, as the saying is, she could make 
almost any man happy. And, if unmarried, what 
a delightful sister-in-law she would be, especially 
a deceased wife's sister! 

I never imagined that she was capable of a 
great passion, as was Irene Benson, who under a 
serene exterior was moved by tides of deep feel- 
ing, subject to moods, and full of aspirations and 
longings which she herself only dimly knew the 
meaning of. With Irene marriage would be either 
supreme happiness or extreme wretchedness, no 
halfway acceptance of a conventional life. With 
such a woman life is a failure, either tragic or 
pathetic, without a great passion given and re- 
turned. It is fortunate, considering the chances 
that make unions in society, that for most men and 
women the "grand passion" is neither necessary 
nor possible. I did not share King's prejudice 
against Mr. Meigs. He seemed to me, as the 
world goes, a bon parti, cultivated by travel and 
reading, well-bred, entertaining, amiable, pos- 
sessed of an ample fortune, the ideal husband in 
the eyes of a prudent mother. But I used to 
think that if Irene, attracted by his many admir- 
able qualities, should become his wife, and that 
if afterwards the Prince should appear and waken 



Their Pilgrimage 297 

the slumbering woman's heart in her, what a trag- 
edy would ensue. I can imagine their placid ex- 
istence if the Prince should not appear, and I can 
well believe that Irene and Stanhope would have 
many a tumultuous passage in the passionate 
symphony of their lives. But, great heavens, is 
the ideal marriage a Holland! 

If Marion had shed any tears overnight, say 
on account of a little lonesomeness because her 
friend was speeding away from her southward, 
there were no traces of them when she met her 
uncle at the breakfast-table, as bright and chatty 
as usual, and in as high spirits as one can main- 
tain with the Rodick coffee. 

What a world of shifting scenes it is! Forbes 
had picked up his traps and gone off with his un- 
reasonable companion like a soldier. The day 
after, when he looked out of the window of his 
sleeping-compartment at half-past four, he saw 
the red sky of morning, and against it the spires 
of Philadelphia. At ten o'clock the two friends 
were breakfasting comfortably in the car, and run- 
ning along down the Cumberland Valley. What 
a contrast was this rich country, warm with color 
and suggestive of abundance, to the pale and 
scrimped coast land of Maine denuded of its 
trees! By afternoon they were far down the east 
valley of the Shenandoah, between the Blue Ridge 
and the Massanutten Range, in a country broken, 



298 The White Sulphur Springs 

picturesque, fertile, so attractive that they won- 
dered there were so few villages on the route, 
and only now and then a cheap shanty in sight; and 
crossing the divide to the waters of the James, at 
sundown, in the midst of a splendid effect of moun- 
tains and clouds in a thunderstorm, they came to 
Natural Bridge Station, where a coach awaited 
them. 

This was old ground to King, who had been 
telling the artist that the two natural objects east 
of the Rocky Mountains that he thought entitled 
to the epithet "sublime" were Niagara Falls and 
the Natural Bridge; and as for scenery, he did 
not know of any more noble and refined than this 
region of the Blue Ridge. Take away the Bridge 
altogether, which is a mere freak, and the place 
would still possess, he said, a charm unique. Since 
the enlargement of hotel facilities and the conver- 
sion of this princely domain into a grand park, 
it has become a favorite summer resort. The 
gorge of the Bridge is a botanical storehouse, 
greater variety of evergreens cannot be found to- 
gether anywhere else in the country, and the hills 
are still clad with stately forests. In opening 
drives, and cutting roads and vistas to give views, 
the proprietor has shown a skill and taste in deal- 
ing with natural resources, both in regard to form 
and the development of contrasts of color in fo- 
liage, which are rare in landscape gardening on 



Their Pilgrimage 299 

this side of the Atlantic. Here is the highest part 
of the Blue Ridge, and from the gentle summit 
of Mount Jefferson the spectator has in view a 
hundred miles of this remarkable range, this 
ribbed mountain structure, which always wears a 
mantle of beauty, changeable purple and violet. 

After supper there was an illumination of the 
cascade, and the ancient gnarled arbor-vitae trees 
that lean over it — perhaps the largest known speci- 
mens of this species — of the gorge, and the 
Bridge. Nature is apt to be belittled by this 
sort of display, but the noble dignity of the vast 
arch of stone was superior to this trifling, and 
even had a sort of mystery added to its imposing 
grandeur. It is true that the flaming bonfires and 
the colored lights and the tiny figures of men 
and women standing in the gorge within the depths 
of the arch made the scene theatrical, but it was 
weird, and strange and awful, like the fantasy of 
a Walpurgis' Night or a midnight revel in Faust. 

The presence of the colored brother in force 
distinguished this from provincial resorts at the 
North, even those that employ this color as serv- 
ants. The flavor of Old Virginia is unmistak- 
able, and life drops into an easy-going pace under 
this influence. What fine manners, to be sure! 
The waiters in the dining-room, in white ties 
and dress-coats, move on springs, starting even 
to walk with a complicated use of all the muscles 



300 The White Sulphur Springs 

of the body, as if in response to the twang of a 
banjo; they do nothing without excessive motion 
and flourish. The gestures and good-humored vi- 
tality expended in changing plates would become 
the leader of an orchestra. Many of them, be- 
sides, have the expression of class-leaders — of a 
worldly sort. There were the aristocratic cham- 
ber-maid and porter, who had the air of never 
having waited on any but the first families. And 
what clever flatterers and readers of human na- 
ture! They can tell in a moment whether a man 
will be complimented by the remark, "I tuk you 
for a Richmond gemman, never sho'd have know'd 
you was frum de Norf," or whether it is best to 
say, "We depen's on de gemmen frum de Norf; 
folks down hyer never gives noffin; is too pore." 
But to a Richmond man it is always, "The Yankee 
is mighty keerful of his money; we depen's on the 
old sort, marse." A fine specimen of the "Rich- 
mond darky" of the old school — polite, flattering, 
with a venerable head of gray wool, was the bar- 
tender, who mixed his juleps with a flourish as if 
keeping time to music. "Haven't I waited on you 
befo', sah? At Capon Springs? Sorry, sah, but 
tho't I knowed you when you come in. Sorry, 
but glad to know you now, sah. If that julep 
don't suit you, sah, throw it in my face." 

A friendly, restful, family sort of place, with 
music, a little mild dancing, mostly performed by 



Their Pilgrimage 301 

children, in the pavilion, driving and riding — in 
short, peace in the midst of noble scenery. No 
display of fashion, the artist soon discovered, and 
he said he longed to give the pretty girls some 
instruction in the art of dress. Forbes was a 
missionary of "style." It hurt his sense of the 
fitness of things to see women without it. He 
used to say that an ill-dressed woman would spoil 
the finest landscape. For such a man, with an 
artistic feeling so sensitive, the White Sulphur 
Springs is a natural goal. And he and his friend 
hastened thither with as much speed as the Vir- 
ginia railways, whose time-tables are carefully ad- 
justed to miss all connections, permit. 

"What do you think of a place," he wrote Miss 
Lamont — the girl read me a portion of his lively 
letter that summer at Saratoga — "into which you 
come by a belated train at half-past eleven at 
night, find friends waiting up for you in evening 
costume, are taken to a champagne supper at 
twelve, get to your quarters at one, and have your 
baggage delivered to you at two o'clock in the 
morning?" 

The friends were lodged in "Paradise Row," — 
a whimsical name given to one of the quarters as- 
signed to single gentlemen. Put into these single- 
room barracks, which were neat but exceedingly 
primitive in their accommodations, by hilarious 
negro attendants who appeared to regard life as 



302 The White Sulphur Springs 

one prolonged lark, and who avowed that there 
was no time of day or night when a mint-julep 
or any other necessary of life would not be forth- 
coming at a moment's warning, the beginning of 
their sojourn at "The White," took an air of ad- 
venture, and the two strangers had the impres- 
sion of having dropped into a garrison somewhere 
on the frontier. But when King stepped out upon 
the gallery, in the fresh summer morning, the 
scene that met his eyes was one of such peaceful 
dignity, and so different from any in his experi- 
ence, that he was aware that he had come upon 
an original development of watering-place life. 

The White Sulphur has been for the better part 
of a century, as everybody knows, the typical 
Southern resort, the rendezvous of all that was 
most characteristic in the society of the whole 
South, the meeting-place of its politicians, the 
haunt of its belles, the arena of gayety, intrigue, 
and fashion. If tradition is to be believed, here 
in years gone by were concocted the measures that 
were subsequently deployed for the government 
of the country at Washington, here historic 
matches were made, here beauty had triumphs that 
were the talk of a generation, here hearts were 
broken at a ball and mended in Lovers' Walk, and 
here fortunes were nightly lost and won. It must 
have been in its material conditions a primitive 
place in the days of its greatest fame. Visitors 



Their Pilgrimage 303 

came to it in their carriages and unwieldy four- 
horse chariots, attended by troops of servants, mak- 
ing slow but most enjoyable pilgrimages over the 
mountain roads, journeys that lasted a week or 
a fortnight, and were every day enlivened by jo- 
vial adventure. They came for the season. They 
were all of one social order, and needed no in- 
troduction; those from Virginia were all related 
to each other, and though life there was some- 
what in the nature of a picnic, it had its very well 
defined and ceremonious code of etiquette. In 
the memory of its old habitues it was at once the 
freest and the most aristocratic assembly in the 
world. The hotel was small and its arrangements 
primitive; a good many of the visitors had their 
own cottages, and the rows of these cheap struc- 
tures took their names from their occupants. The 
Southern Presidents, the senators and statesmen, 
the rich planters, lived in cottages which still have 
an historic interest in their memory. But cottage 
life was never the exclusive affair that it is else- 
where; the society was one body, and the hotel 
was the center. 

Time has greatly changed the White Sulphur; 
doubtless in its physical aspect it never was so 
beautiful and attractive as it is to-day, but all the 
modern improvements have not destroyed the 
character of the resort, which possesses a great 
many of its primitive and old-time peculiarities. 



304 The White Sulphur Springs 

Briefly the White is an elevated and charming 
mountain region, so cool, in fact, especially at 
night, that the "season" is practically limited to 
July and August, although I am not sure but a 
quiet person, who likes invigorating air, and has 
no daughters to marry off, would find it equally 
attractive in September and October, when the 
autumn foliage is in its glory. In a green rolling 
interval, planted with noble trees and flanked by 
moderate hills, stands the vast white caravansary, 
having wide galleries and big pillars running 
round three sides. The front and two sides are 
elevated, the galleries being reached by flights of 
steps, and affording room underneath for the large 
billiard and barrooms. From the hotel the ground 
slopes down to the spring, which is surmounted 
by a round canopy on white columns, and below is 
an opening across the stream to the racetrack, the 
servants' quarters, and a fine view of receding 
hills. Three sides of this charming park are en- 
closed by the cottages and cabins, which back 1 
against the hills, and are more or less embowered 
in trees. Most of these cottages are built in blocks 
and rows, some single rooms, others large enough 
to accommodate a family, but all reached by flights 
of steps, all with verandas, and most of them con- 
nected by galleries. Occasionally the forest trees 
have been left, and the galleries built around 
them. Included in the premises are two churches, 



Their Pilgrimage 305 

a gambling-house, a couple of country stores, and 
a postoffice. There are none of the shops com- 
mon at watering-places, for the sale of fancy ar- 
ticles, and, strange to say, flowers are not system- 
atically cultivated', and very few are ever to be had. 
The hotel has a vast dining-room, besides the 
minor eating-rooms for children and nurses, a 
large ballroom, and a drawing-room of imposing 
dimensions. Hotel and cottages together, it is 
said, can lodge fifteen hundred guests. 

The natural beauty of the place is very great, 
and fortunately there is not much smart and fan- 
tastic architecture to interfere with it. I cannot 
say whether the knowledge that Irene was in one 
of the cottages affected King's judgment, but that 
morning, when he strolled to the upper part of 
the grounds before breakfast, he thought he had 
never beheld a scene of more beauty and dignity, 
as he looked over the mass of hotel buildings, upon 
the park set with a wonderful variety of dark 
green foliage, upon the elevated rows of galleried 
cottages marked by colonial simplicity, and the 
soft contour of the hills, which satisfy the eye in 
their delicate blending of every shade of green 
and brown. And after an acquaintance of a couple 
of weeks the place seemed to him ravishingly 
beautiful. 

King was always raving about the White Sul- 
phur after he came North, and one never could 



306 The While Sulphur Springs 

tell how much his judgment was colored by his 
peculiar experiences there. It was my impression 
that if he had spent those two weeks on a barren 
rock in the ocean, with only one fair spirit for 
his minister, he would have sworn that it was 
the most lovely spot on the face of the earth. He 
always declared that it was the most friendly, cor- 
dial society at this resort in the country. At 
breakfast he knew scarcely any one in the vast din- 
ing-room, except the New Orleans and Richmond 
friends, with whom he had a seat at table. But 
their acquaintance sufficed to establish his posi- 
tion. Before dinner-time he. knew half a hun- 
dred; in the evening his introductions had run up 
into the hundreds, and he felt that he had poten- 
tial friends in every Southern city; and before the 
week was over there was not one of the thousand 
guests he did not know or might not know. 

At his table he heard Irene spoken of and her 
beauty commented on. Two or three days had 
been enough to give her a reputation in a society 
that is exceedingly sensitive to beauty. The men 
were all ready to do her homage, and the women 
took her into favor as soon as they saw that Mr. 
Meigs, whose social position was perfectly well 
known, was of her party. The society of the 
White Sulphur seems perfectly easy of access, but 
the ineligible will find that it is able, like that of 
Washington, to protect itself. It was not without 



Their Pilgrimage 307 

a little shock that King heard the good points, the 
style, the physical perfections of Irene so fully 
commented on, and not without some alarm that 
he heard predicted for her a very successful career 
as a belle. 

Coming out from breakfast, the Benson party 
were encountered on the gallery, and introductions 
followed. It was a trying five minutes for King, 
who felt as guilty as if the White Sulphur were 
private property into which he had intruded with- 
out an invitation. There was in the civility of Mr. 
Meigs no sign of an invitation. Mrs. Benson said 
she was never so surprised in her life, and the sur- 
prise seemed not exactly an agreeable one, but Mr. 
Benson looked a great deal more pleased than as- 
tonished. The slight flush in Irene's face as she 
greeted him might have been wholly due to the 
unexpectedness of the meeting. Some of the gen- 
tlemen lounged off to the office region for politics 
and cigars, the elderly ladies took seats upon the 
gallery, and the rest of the party strolled down to 
the benches under the trees. 

"So Miss Benson was expecting you!" said 
Mrs. Farquhar, who was walking with King. It 
is enough to mention Mrs. Farquhar's name to 
an habitue of the Springs. It is not so many years 
ago since she was a reigning belle, and as noted 
for her wit and sparkling raillery as for her 
beauty. She was still a very handsome woman, 



308 The White Sulphur Springs 

whose original cleverness had been cultivated by 
a considerable experience of social life in this 
country as well as in London and Paris. 

"Was she? I'm sure I never told her I was 
coming here." 

"No, simple man. You were with her at Bar 
Harbor, and I suppose she never mentioned to you 
that she was coming here?" 

"But why did you think she expected me?" 
"You men are too aggravatingly stupid. I never 
saw astonishment better feigned. I daresay it im- 
posed upon that other admirer of hers also. Well, 
I like her, and I am going to be good to her." 

This meant a good deal. Mrs. Farquhar was 
related to everybody in Virginia — that is, every- 
body who was anybody before the war — and she 
could count at that moment seventy-five cousins, 
some of them first and some of them double-first 
cousins, at the White Sulphur. Mrs. Farquhar's 
remark meant that all these cousins and all their 
friends the South over would stand by Miss Ben- 
son socially from that moment. 

The morning german had just begun in the 
ballroom. The gallery was thronged with spec- 
tators, clustering like bees about the large win- 
dows, and the notes of the band came floating out 
over the lawn, bringing to the groups there the 
lulling impression that life is all a summer holi- 
day. 



Their Pilgrimage 309 

"And they say she is from Ohio. It is right odd, 
isn't it? But two or three of the prettiest women 
here are from that state. There is Mrs. Martin, 
sweet as a jacqueminot. I'd introduce you if her 
husband were here. Ohio! Well, we get used 
to it. I should have known the father and mother 
were corn-fed. I suppose you prefer the corn-feds 
to the Confeds. But there's homespun and home- 
spun. You see those under the trees yonder? 
Georgia homespun! Perhaps you don't see the 
difference. I do." 

"I suppose you mean provincial." 

"Oh, dear, no. I'm provincial. It is the most 
difficult thing to be in these leveling days. But I 
am not going to interest you in myself. I am too 
unselfish. Your Miss Benson is a fine girl, and it 
does not matter about her parents. Since you 
Yankees upset everything by the war, it is really 
of no importance who one's mother is. But, mind, 
this is not my opinion. I'm trying to adjust my- 
self. You have no idea how reconstructed I am." 

And with this Mrs. Farquhar went over to Miss 
Benson, and chatted for a few moments, making 
herself particularly agreeable to Mr. Meigs, and 
actually carried that gentleman off to the spring, 
and then as an escort to her cottage, shaking her 
fan as she went away at Mr. King and Irene, and 
saying, "It is a waste of time for you youngsters 
not to be in the german." 



310 The White Sulphur Springs 

The german was just ended, and the participants 
were grouping themselves on the gallery to be 
photographed, the usual custom for perpetuating 
the memory of these exercises, which only take 
place every other morning. And since something 
must be done, as there are only six nights for danc- 
ing in the week, on the off mornings there are 
champagne and fruit parties on the lawn. 

It was not about the german, however, that King 
was thinking. He was once more beside the wo- 
man he loved, and all the influences of summer 
and the very spirit of this resort were in his favor. 
If I cannot win her here, he was saying to himself, 
the Meigs is in it. They talked about the journey, 
about Luray, where she had been, and about the 
Bridge, and the abnormal gayety of the Springs. 

"The people are all so friendly," she said, "and 
strive so much to put the stranger at his ease, and 
putting themselves out lest time hang heavy on 
one's hands. They seem somehow responsible." 

"Yes," said King, "the place is unique in that 
respect. I suppose it is partly owing to the con- 
centration of the company in and around the 
hotel." 

"But the sole object appears to me to be agree- 
able, and make a real social life. At other like 
places nobody seems to care what becomes of any- 
body else." 

"Doubtless the cordiality and good feeling are 



Their Pilgrimage 31 1 

spontaneous, though something is due to manner, 
and a habit of expressing the feeling that arises. 
Still, I do not expect to find any watering-place 
a paradise. This must be vastly different from any 
other if it is not full of cliques and gossip and envy 
underneath. But we do not go to a summer resort 
to philosophize. A market is a market, you know." 

"I don't know anything about markets, and this 
cordiality may all be on the surface, but it makes 
life very agreeable, and I wish our Northerners 
would catch the Southern habit of showing sympa- 
thy where it exists." 

"Well, I'm free to say that I like the place, and 
all its easy-going ways, and I have to thank you 
for a new experience." 

"Me? Why so?" 

"Oh, I wouldn't have come if it had not been 
for your suggestion — I mean for your — your say- 
ing that you were coming here reminded me that 
it was a place I ought to see." 

"I'm glad to have served you as a guide-book." 

"And I hope you are not sorry that I — " 

At this moment Mrs. Benson and Mr. Meigs 
came down with the announcement of the dinner 
hour, and the latter marched off with the ladies 
with a "one-of-the-family" air. 

The party did not meet again till evening in the 
great drawing-room. The business at the White 
Sulphur is pleasure. And this is about the order 



312 The White Sulphur Springs 

of proceedings: A few conscientious people take 
an early glass at the spring, and later patronize the 
baths, and there is a crowd at the post-office; a late 
breakfast; lounging and gossip on the galleries and 
in the parlor; politics and old-fogy talk in the 
reading-room and in the piazza corners; flirtation 
on the lawn; a german every other morning at 
eleven; wine-parties under the trees; morning calls 
at the cottages; servants running hither and thither 
with cooling drinks; the barroom not absolutely 
deserted and cheerless at any hour, day or night; 
dinner from two to four; occasionally a riding- 
party; some driving; though there were charming 
drives in every direction, few private carriages, 
and no display of turn-outs ; strolls in Lovers' Walk 
and in the pretty hill paths; supper at eight, and 
then the full-dress assembly in the drawing-room, 
and a "walk around" while the children have their 
hour in the ball-room ; the nightly dance, witnessed 
by a crowd on the veranda, followed frequently by 
a private german and a supper given by some lover 
of his kind, lasting till all hours in the morning; 
and while the majority of the vast encampment 
reposes in slumber, some resolute spirits are fight- 
ing the tiger, and a light gleaming from one cot- 
tage and another shows where devotees of science 
are backing their opinion of the relative value of 
chance bits of pasteboard, in certain combinations, 
with a liberality and faith for which the world 



Their Pilgrimage 313 

gives them no credit. And lest their life should 
become monotonous, the enterprising young men 
are continually organizing entertainments, mock 
races, comical games. The idea seems to prevail 
that a summer resort ought to be a place of en- 
joyment. 

The White Sulphur is the only watering-place 
remaining in the United States where there is what 
may be called an "assembly," such as might form- 
erly be seen at Saratoga or at Ballston Spa in Irv- 
ing's young days. Everybody is in the drawing- 
room in the evening, and although, in the freedom 
of the place, full dress is not exacted, the habit of 
parade in full toilet prevails. When King en- 
tered the room the scene might well be called bril- 
liant, and even bewildering, so that in the maze of 
beauty and the babble of talk he was glad to obtain 
the services of Mrs. Farquhar as cicerone. Be- 
tween the rim of people near the walls and the 
elliptical center was an open space for prome- 
nading, and in this beauty and its attendant cava- 
lier went around and 'round in unending show. 
This is called the "Treadmill." But for the seri- 
ousness of this frank display, and the unflagging 
interest of the spectators, there would have been 
an element of high comedy in it. It was an edu- 
cation to join a wall group and hear the free and 
critical comments on the style, the dress, the phys- 
ical perfection, of the charming procession. 



314 The White Sulphur Springs 

When Mrs. Farquhar and King had taken a turn 
or two, they stood on one side to enjoy the scene. 

"Did you ever see so many pretty girls together 
before? If you did don't you dare say so." 

"But at the North the pretty women are scat- 
tered in a thousand places. You have here the 
whole South to draw on. Are they elected as rep- 
resentatives from the various districts, Mrs. Far- 
quhar?" 

"Certainly. By an election that your clumsy 
device of the ballot is not equal to. Why shouldn't 
beauty have a reputation? You see that old lady 
in the corner? Well, forty years ago the Springs 
just raved over her; everybody in the South knew 
her; I suppose she had an average of seven pro- 
posals a week ; the young men went wild about her, 
followed her, toasted her, and fought duels for 
her possession — you don't like duels? — why, she 
was engaged to three men at one time, and after 
all she went off with a worthless fellow." 

"That seems to me rather a melancholy history." 

"Well, she is a most charming old lady; just 
as entertaining! I must introduce you. But this 
is history. Now look! There's the belle of Mo- 
bile, that tall, stately brunette. And that superb 
figure, you wouldn't guess she is the belle of Selma. 
There is a fascinating girl. What a mixture of 
languor and vivacity! Creole, you know; full 
blood. She is the belle of New Orleans — or one 



Their Pilgrimage 315 

of them. Oh ! do you see that Paris dress? I must 
look at it again when it comes round; she carries 
it well, too — belle of Richmond. And, see there; 
there's one of the prettiest girls in the South — belle 
of Macon. And that handsome woman — Nash- 
ville? — Louisville? See, that's the new-comer 
from Ohio." And so the procession went on, and 
the enumeration — belle of Montgomery, belle of 
Augusta, belle of Charleston, belle of Savannah, 
belle of Atlanta — always the belle of some place. 

"No, I don't expect you to say that these are 
prettier than Northern women; but just between 
friends, Mr. King, don't you think the North 
might make a little more of their beautiful wo- 
men? Yes, you are right; she is handsome" (King 
was bowing to Irene, who was on the arm of Mr. 
Meigs), "and has something besides beauty. I 
see what you mean" (King had not intimated that 
he meant anything) , "but don't you dare to say it." 

"Oh, I'm quite subdued." 

"I wouldn't trust you. I suppose you Yankees 
cannot help your critical spirit." 

"Critical? Why, I've heard more criticism in 
the last half-hour from these spectators than in a 
year before. And — I wonder if you will let me 
say it?" 

"Say on." 

"Seems to me that the chief topic here is physical 
beauty — about the shape, the style, the dress, of 



316 The White Sulphur Springs 

women, and whether this or that one is well made 
and handsome." 

"Well, suppose beauty is worshiped in the South 
— we worship what we have; we haven't much 
money now, you know. Would you mind my say- 
ing that Mr. Meigs is a very presentable man?" 

"You may say what you like about Mr. Meigs." 

"That's the reason I took him away this morn- 
ing." 

"Thank you." 

"He is full of information, and so unobtru- 
sive — " 

"I hadn't noticed that." 

"And I think he ought to be encouraged. I'll 
tell you what you ought to do, Mr. King; you 
ought to give a german. If you do not, I shall 
put Mr. Meigs up to it — it is the thing to do 
here." 

"Mr. Meigs give a german!" 

"Why not? You see that old beau there, the one 
smiling and bending towards her as he walks with 
the belle of Macon? He does not look any older 
than Mr. Meigs. He has been coining here for 
fifty years; he owns up to sixty-five and the Mexi- 
can war; it's my firm belief that he was out in 
1812. Well, he has led the german here for years. 
You will find Colonel Fane in the ball-room every 
night. Yes, I shall speak to Mr. Meigs." 

The room was thinning out. King found him- 



Their Pilgrimage 317 

self in front of a row of dowagers, whose tongues 
were still going about the departing beauties. "No 
mercy there," he heard a lady say to her compan- 
ion ; "that's a jury for conviction every time." 
What confidential communication Mrs. Farqu- 
har made to Mr. Meigs, King never knew, but 
he took advantage of the diversion in his favor to 
lead Miss Benson off to the ball-room. 

The days went by at the White Sulphur on 
the wings of incessant gayety. Literally the nights 
were filled with music, and the only cares that in- 
fested the day appeared in the anxious faces of the 
mothers as the campaign became more intri- 
cate and uncertain. King watched this with the 
double interest of spectator and player. The artist 
threw himself into the melee with abandon, and 
pacified his conscience by an occasional letter to 
Miss Lamont, in which he confessed just as many 
of his conquests and defeats as he thought it would 
be good for her to know. 

The colored people, who are a conspicuous part 
of the establishment, are a source of never-failing 
interest and amusement. Every morning the 
mammies and nurses with their charges were seated 
in a long, shining row on a part of the veranda 
where there was most passing and repassing, hold- 
ing a sort of baby show, the social consequence of 
each one depending upon the rank of the family 



318 The White Sulphur Springs 

who employed her, and the dress of the children 
in her charge. High-toned conversation on these 
topics occupied these dignified and faithful mam- 
mies, upon whom seemed to rest to a considerable 
extent the maintenance of the aristocratic social tra- 
ditions. Forbes had heard that while the colored 
people of the South had suspended several of the 
ten commandments, the eighth was especially re- 
garded as non-applicable in the present state of 
society. But he was compelled to revise this opin- 
ion as to the White Sulphur. Nobody ever locked 
a door or closed a window. Cottages most remote 
were left for hours open and without guard, mis- 
cellaneous articles of the toilet were left about, 
trunks were not locked, waiters, chambermaids, 
porters, washerwomen, were constantly coming 
and going, having access to the rooms at all hours, 
and yet no guest ever lost so much as a hairpin or 
a cigar. This fashion of trust and of honesty so 
impressed the artist that he said he should make 
an attempt to have it introduced elsewhere. This 
sort of esprit de corps among the colored people 
was unexpected, and he wondered if they are not 
generally misunderstood by writers who attribute 
to them qualities of various kinds that they do not 
possess. The negro is not witty, or consciously 
humorous, or epigrammatic. The humor of his 
actions and sayings lies very much in a certain 



Their Pilgrimage 319 

primitive simplicity. Forbes couldn't tell, for in- 
stance, why he was amused at a remark he heard 
one morning in the store. A colored girl sauntered 
in, looking about vacantly. "You ain't got no cot- 
ton, is you?" "Why, of course we have cotton." 
"Well" (the girl only wanted an excuse to say 
something), "I only ast, is you?" 

Sports of a colonial and old English flavor that 
have fallen into disuse elsewhere varied the life at 
the White. One day the gentleman rode in a mule- 
race, the slowest mule to win, and this feat was fol- 
lowed by an exhibition of negro agility in climbing 
the greased pole and catching the greased pig; 
another day the cavaliers contended on the green 
field, surrounded by a brilliant array of beauty and 
costume, as two Amazon baseball nines, the one 
nine arrayed in yellow cambric frocks and sun- 
bonnets, and the other in bright red gowns — the 
whiskers and big boots and trousers adding noth- 
ing whatever to the illusion of the female battle. 

The two tables, King's and the Bensons', united 
in an expedition to the Old Sweet, a drive of eigh- 
teen miles. Mrs. Farquhar arranged the affair, 
and assigned the seats in the carriages. It is a very 
picturesque drive, as are all the drives in this 
region, and if King did not enjoy it, it was not 
because Mrs. Farquhar was not even more enter- 
taining than usual. The truth is that a young man 
in love is poor company for himself and for every- 



320 The White Sulphur Springs 

body else. Even the object of his passion could 
not tolerate him, unless she returned it. Irene and 
Mr. Meigs rode in the carriage in advance of his, 
and King thought the scenery about the tamest he 
had ever seen, the roads bad, the horses slow. His 
ill-humor, however, was concentrated on one spot; 
that was Mr. Meigs' back; he thought he had 
never seen a more disagreeable back, a more con- 
ceited back. It ought to have been a delightful 
day; in his imagination it was to be an eventful 
day. Indeed, why shouldn't the opportunity come 
at the Old Sweet, at the end of the drive? — there 
was something promising in the name. Mrs. Far- 
quhar was in a mocking mood all the way. She 
liked to go to the Old Sweet, she said, because it 
was so intolerably dull; it was a sensation. She 
thought, too, that it might please Miss Benson, 
there was such a fitness in the thing — the old sweet 
to the Old Sweet. "And he is not so very old 
either," she added ; "just the age young girls like. 
I should think Miss Benson in danger — seriously, 
now — if she were three or four years younger." 

The Old Sweet is, in fact, a delightful old- 
fashioned resort, respectable and dull, with a 
pretty park, and a crystal pond that stimulates the 
bather like a glass of champagne, and perhaps has 
the property of restoring youth. King tried the 
spring, which he heard Mrs. Farquhar soberly 
commending to Mr. Meigs; and after dinner he 



Their Pilgrimage 321 

maneuvered for a half-hour alone with Irene. 
But the fates and the women were against him. 
He had the mortification to see her stroll away 
with Mr. Meigs to a distant part of the grounds, 
where they remained in confidential discourse un- 
til it was time to return. 

In the rearrangement of seats, Mrs. Farquhar 
exchanged with Irene. Mrs. Farquhar said that 
it was very much like going to a funeral each way. 
As for Irene, she was in high, even feverish, spir- 
its, and rattled away in a manner that convinced 
King that she was almost too happy to contain her- 
self. 

Notwithstanding the general chaff, the singing, 
and the gayety of Irene, the drive seemed to him 
intolerably long. At the half-way house, where in 
the moonlight the horses drank from a shallow 
stream, Mr. Meigs came forward to the carriage 
and inquired if Miss Benson was sufficiently pro- 
tected against the chilliness of the night. King 
had an impulse to offer to change seats with him; 
but no, he would not surrender in the face of 
the enemy. It would be more dignified to quietly 
leave the Springs the next day. 

It was late at night when the party returned. 
The carriage drove to the Benson cottage; King 
helped Irene to alight, coolly bade her good-night, 
and went to his barracks. But it was not a good 
night to sleep. He tossed about, he counted every 



322 The White Sulphur Springs 

step of the late night birds on his gallery; he got 
up and lighted a cigar, and tried dispassionately 
to think the matter over. But thinking was of no 
use. He took pen and paper; he would write a 
chill letter of farewell; he would make a manly 
avowal of his passion; he would make such an 
appeal that no woman could resist it. She must 
know, she did know — what was the use of writing? 
He sat staring at the blank prospect. Great heav- 
ens! what would become of his life if he lost the 
only woman in the world? Probably the world 
would go on much the same. Why, listen to it! 
The band was playing on the lawn at four o'clock 
in the morning. A party was breaking up after a 
night of german and a supper, and the revellers 
were dispersing. The lively tunes of "Dixie," 
"Marching Through Georgia," and "Home, Sweet 
Home," awoke the echoes in all the galleries and 
corridors, and filled the whole encampment with 
a sad gayety. Dawn was approaching. Good- 
nights and farewells and laughter were heard, and 
the voice of a wanderer explaining to the trees, 
with more or less broken melody, his fixed purpose 
not to go home till morning. 

Stanhope King might have had a better though 
still a sleepless night if he had known that Mr. 
Meigs was packing his trunks at that hour to the 
tune of "Home, Sweet Home," and if he had been 
aware of the scene at the Benson cottage after he 



Their Pilgrimage 323 

bade Irene good-night. Mrs. Benson had a light 
burning, and the noise of the carriage awakened 
her. Irene entered the room, saw that her mother 
was awake, shut the door carefully, sat down on 
the foot of the bed, said, "It's all over, mother," 
and burst into the tears of a long-repressed nervous 
excitement. 

"What's over, child?" cried Mrs. Benson, sit- 
ting bolt-upright in bed. 

"Mr. Meigs. I had to tell him that it couldn't 
be. And he is one of the best men I ever knew." 

"You don't tell me you've gone and refused 
him, Irene?" 

"Please don't scold me. It was no use. He 
ought to have seen that I did not care for him, 
except as a friend. I'm so sorry!" 

"You are the strangest girl I ever saw." And 
Mrs. Benson dropped back on the pillow again, 
crying herself now, and muttering, "I'm sure I 
don't know what you do want." 

When King came out to breakfast he encoun- 
tered Mr. Benson, who told him that their friend 
Mr. Meigs had gone off that morning — had a sud- 
den business call to Boston. Mr. Benson did not 
seem to be depressed about it. Irene did not ap- 
pear, and King idled away the hours with his 
equally industrious companion under the trees. 
There was no german that morning, and the hotel 
band was going through its repertoire for the bene- 



324 The White Sulphur Springs 

fit of a champagne party on the lawn. There was 
nothing melancholy about this party; and King 
couldn't help saying to Mrs. Farquhar that it 
hardly represented his idea of the destitution and 
depression resulting from the war; but she replied 
that they must do something to keep up their 
spirits. 

"And I think," said the artist, who had been 
watching, from the little distance at which they 
sat, the table of the revellers, "that they will suc- 
ceed. Twenty-six bottles of champagne, and not 
many more guests! What a happy people, to be 
able to enjoy champagne before twelve o'clock!" 

"Oh, you never will understand us!" said Mrs. 
Farquhar; "there is nothing spontaneous in you." 

"We do not begin to be spontaneous till after 
dinner," said King. 

"And then it is all calculated. Think of Mr. 
Forbes counting the bottles! Such a dreadfully 
mercenary spirit! Oh, I have been North. Be- 
cause you are not so open as we are, you set up 
for being more virtuous." 

"And you mean," said King, "that frankness and 
impulse cover a multitude of " 

"I don't mean anything of the sort. I just mean 
that conventionality isn't virtue. You yourself 
confessed that you like the Southern openness right 
much and you like to come here, and you like the 
Southern people as they are at home." 



Their Pilgrimage 325 

"Well?" 

"And now will you tell me, Mr. Prim, why it 
is that almost all Northern people who come South 
to live become more Southern than the Southern- 
ers themselves; and that almost all Southern peo- 
ple who go North to live remain just as Southern 
as ever?" 

"No. Nor do I understand any more than Dr. 
Johnson did why the Scotch, who couldn't scratch 
a living at home, and came up to London, always 
kept on bragging about their native land and 
abused the metropolis." 

This sort of sparring went on daily, with the 
result of increasing friendship between the repre- 
sentatives of the two geographical sections, and 
commonly ended with the declaration on Mrs. 
Farquhar's part that she should never know that 
King was not born in the South except for his 
accent; and on his part that if Mrs. Farquhar 
would conceal her delightful Virginia inflection 
she would pass everywhere at the North for a 
Northern woman. 

"I hear," she said, later, as they sat alone, "that 
Mr. Meigs has beat a retreat, saving nothing but 
his personal baggage. I think Miss Benson is a 
great goose. Such a chance for an establishment 
and a position! You didn't half appreciate him." 

"I'm afraid I did not." 

"Well, it is none of my business; but I hope you 



326 The White Sulphur Springs 

understand the responsibility of the situation. If 
you do not, I want to warn you about one thing: 
don't go strolling off before sunset in the Lovers' 
Walk. It is the most dangerous place. It is a 
fatal place. I suppose every turn in it, every tree 
that has a knoll at the foot where two persons can 
sit, has witnessed a tragedy, or, what is worse, a 
comedy. There are legends enough about it to 
fill a book. Maybe there is not a Southern woman 
living who has not been engaged there once at 
least. I'll tell you a little story for a warning. 
Some years ago there was a famous belle here who 
had the Springs at her feet, and half a dozen de- 
termined suitors. One of them, who had been 
unable to make the least impression on her heart, 
resolved to win her by a stratagem. Walking one 
evening on the hill with her, the two stopped just 
at a turn in the walk — I can show you the exact 
spot, with a chaperon — and he fell into earnest dis- 
course with her. She was as cool and repellent as 
usual. Just then he heard a party approaching; 
his chance had come. The moment the party came 
in sight he suddenly kissed her. Everybody saw 
it. The witnesses discreetly turned back. The 
girl was indignant. But the deed was done. In 
half an hour the whole Springs would know it. 
She was compromised. No explanation could do 
away with the fact that she had been kissed in 
Lovers' Walk. But the girl was game, and that 



Their Pilgrimage 327 

evening the engagement was announced in the 
drawing-room. Isn't that a pretty story?" 

However much Stanhope might have been 
alarmed at this recital, he betrayed nothing of his 
fear that evening when, after walking to the spring 
with Irene, the two sauntered along, and uncon- 
sciously, as it seemed, turned up the hill into that 
winding path which has been trodden by genera- 
tions of lovers with loitering steps — steps easy to 
take and so hard to retrace! It is a delightful 
forest, the walk winding about on the edge of the 
hill, and giving charming prospects of intervals, 
stream and mountains. To one in the mood for a 
quiet hour with nature, no scene could be more 
attractive. 

The couple walked on, attempting little conver- 
sation, both apparently prepossessed and con- 
strained. The sunset was spoken of, and when 
Irene at length suggested turning back, that was 
declared to be King's object in ascending the hill 
to a particular point; but whether either of them 
saw the sunset, or would have known it from a 
sunrise, I cannot say. The drive to the Old Sweet 
was pleasant. Yes, but rather tiresome. Mr. 
Meigs had gone away suddenly. Yes; Irene was 
sorry his business should have called him away. 
Was she very sorry? She wouldn't lie awake at 
night over it, but he was a good friend. The time 
passed very quickly here. Yes; one couldn't tell 



328 The White Sulphur Springs 

how it went; the days just melted away; the two 
weeks seemed like a day. They were going away 
the next day. King said he was going also. 

"And," he added, as if with an effort, "when the 
season is over, Miss Benson, I am going to settle 
down to work." 

"I'm glad of that," she said, turning upon him a 
face glowing with approval. 

"Yes, I have arranged to go on with practice in 
my uncle's office. I remember what you said about 
a dilettante life." 

"Why, I never said anything of the kind." 

"But you looked it. It is all the same." 

They had come to the crown of the hill, and 
stood looking over the intervals to the purple 
mountains. Irene was deeply occupied in tying 
up with grass a bunch of wild flowers. Suddenly 
he seized her hand. 

"Irene!" 

"No, no," she cried, turning away. The flowers 
dropped from her hand. 

"You must listen, Irene. I love you — I love 
you." 

She turned her face towards him; her lips trem- 
bled; her eyes were full of tears; there was a great 
look of wonder and tenderness in her face. 

"Is it all true?" 

She was in his arms. He kissed her hair, her 
eyes — ah me! it is the old story. It had always 



Their Pilgrimage 329 

been true. He loved her from the first, at Fortress 
Monroe, every minute since. And she — well, per- 
haps she could learn to love him in time, if he was 
very good; yes, maybe she had loved him a little 
at Fortress Monroe. How could he? what was 
there in her to attract him? What a wonder it was 
that she could tolerate him! What could she see 
in him? 

So this impossible thing, this miracle, was ex- 
plained. 

No, indeed! It had to be inquired into and 
explained over and over again, this absolutely new 
experience of two people loving each other. 

She could speak now of herself, of her doubt 
that he could know his own heart and be stronger 
than the social traditions, and would not mind, as 
she thought he did at Newport — just a little bit — 
the opinions of other people. I do not by any 
means imply that she said all this bluntly, or that 
she took at all the tone of apology; but she con- 
trived, as a woman can without saying much, to 
let him see why she had distrusted, not the sin- 
cerity, but the perseverance of his love. There 
would never be any more doubt now. What a 
wonder it all is! 

The two parted — alas! alas! till supper-time! 
I don't know why scoffers make so light of these 
partings — at the foot of the main stairs of the hotel 
gallery, just as Mrs. Farquhar was descending. 



330 The White Sulphur Springs 

Irene's face was radiant as she ran away from Mrs. 
Farquhar. 

"Bless you, my children! I see my warning was 
in vain, Mr. King. It is a fatal walk. It always 
was in our family. Oh, youth! youth!" A shade 
of melancholy came over her charming face as she 
turned alone towards the spring. 



XI 

"the treadmill" at the white sulphur 



T 



"THINGS are seldom what they seem. 
"The Treadmill" at the White Sulphur 
Springs resembled not in the least the 
form of punishment thought best for 
purposes of reformation in the Victorian prison, 
but was an institution peculiar to the most fash- 
ionable and popular of all the watering places of 
the South, — an institution characteristic of this 
famous spa. 

When did "The Treadmill" become the vogue 
at "The Old White," as it was known from Dela- 
ware on the north to Ohio on the west? Though 
we are keen to make it as old as the pedigree of an 
F. F. V., which extends to the sixth day of the 
Creation, speaking by the book, we do not believe 
it began on that much disputed occasion. Nor did 
it begin upon that golden summer's eve when the 
first hunter from over the Alleghanies climbed the 
mountain and strayed into the little green valley 
amid the encircling hills, where the fairy spring 
bubbled up, and the magic airs blew cool and 

331 



332 The White Sulphur Springs 

strong and sweet and laden with the scent of the 
pines and the Virginia wild-flowers. 

No, with the most faithful desire to aggrandize 
"The Treadmill," we do not admit that it was the 
mode when that first hunter discovered our El 
Dorado. Nor was it the fashion when that first 
hunter, who belonged to the old school and be- 
lieved that the medicine that smelt and tasted was 
the only medicine, went home and told how, hav- 
ing bathed his tired limbs in a wonderfully light 
and odoriferous water and having drunk of the 
same, he felt within him the flush of renewed 
youth, — felt as he had not felt since he shot his 
first squirrel. What he said reached the ears of a 
determined woman named Mrs. Anderson (on 
whom be peace), who possessed some occult pow- 
er, which induced her husband to take her on a 
litter to the spring (for even in those primitive 
days husbands consented to let their wives try 
strange remedies that "they might get well or some- 
thin'"), and she, having bathed her rheumatic 
limbs in the fountain, went back cured. 

Mrs. Anderson, unlike most females, had a 
tongue in her head and she told of her experience. 
The news spread till its fame was that of the pool 
of Bethesda, and (this was in 1770, according 
to the chronicle), by the end of the Revolution, 
rude wagons had made a path across the moun- 
tain, and every spring they bore their load of in- 



"The Treadmill" at the White Sulphur 333 

valids which, like drugs, "were shaken when 
taken,'.' and were all the better for the rough jour- 
ney. 

And no wonder they got well, camping out on 
the flower-strewn turf, breathing the winey air 
blown straight from the scented pines, fishing in 
the bright streams, hunting in the deep, primeval 
forests, which teemed with game, sleeping under 
the stars, and bathing in what the old poet, Arm- 
strong, called "the comfortable stream." 

With eager lips 

And trembling hands, the languid thirsty quaff 
New life in you; fresh vigor fills their veins, till, se- 
rene and pleased, 
Blessed with divine immunity from ills, 
Long centuries they lived. 

The first settlers of that region of the Common- 
wealth of Virginia, as every schoolboy does not 
know, were not all rude woodsmen. They were, 
in many cases, sprigs of the English nobility, come 
to the New World for adventure's sake, and gen- 
tlemen who quit their homes and the wealth and 
luxury in which they had been reared for liberty 
or religion's sake. Such was Gen. John Lewis; 
such was the brave founder of the Caldwell family, 
that "Kate" for whom the mountain was named, 
who fought the Indians, and was the ancestor of 



334 The White Sulphur Springs 

James Caldwell, the real founder of the modern 
White Sulphur; such the McDowells, and many 
another of honored name. 

But these gentlefolk, before their pilgrimage 
across the seas, had led other lives, not quite so 
rigorous. They had been beaux and gallants at the 
English spas, and if not in their own persons, in 
that of their fathers, had drunk and played high 
with Richard Nash, Esquire, at Bath or Tunbridge 
Wells, or with Beau Brummel at Epsom or 
Brighton and had courted the beautiful Miss Chud- 
leigh in the Assembly rooms, and had cast sheep 
eyes at the sweet Miss Lowther, betrothed of 
Colonel Wolf, or had lost a year's rent at cards to 
the old Duchess of Queensbury. Or they had gone 
to the Continent and nursed their gout at Wies- 
baden, or Ems, or one of the many German cures. 
And they were not content to fish and shoot and 
take the waters and the air, but must make in the 
New World a replica of the old. They must have 
"the parade," such an one as that where Richard- 
son and Mrs. Carter walked, and the Ladies 
Churchill, — the Duke of Marlborough's hand- 
some daughters, — the elegant Chesterfield, Lord 
North, and George himself, when his spleen was 
out of order. They must have cards and horses 
and bands of music and good eating, with the at- 
tendant good drinking, good talk, and the life of 
the beau monde. 



"The Treadmill" at the White Sulphur 335 

Therefore, it was not long before the stage- 
coach replaced the rough wagon, and fine ladies 
and gentlemen the crippled invalids, and pleasure 
seekers were more in evidence than health-seek- 
ers, though the two combined; and early in June 
the cavalcade started from the far South, where 
the rumor of the magical waters of "The White" 
was soon bruited abroad, and seekers of a cool re- 
sort from the burning heat of Mississippi and 
Louisiana were eager to arrive. 

By 1820 there was an inn at The White Sulphur, 
and around it had grown up cabins built by their 
owners and representing every Southern state. 
Here came the nabobs from the shores of the 
James and the Delaware, the planters of rice from 
South Carolina, the planters of cane and cotton 
from further down, the great merchants of St. 
Louis, the country gentlemen from Maryland, the 
politicians from Philadelphia and later from 
Washington, and the blue-grass farmer from Ken- 
tucky, bringing with him his stately daughters, his 
Morgan horses, and that other staple that has 
made his country famous the world over. 

Down they poured into this little cup in the hills, 
all this varied company, to the little pool of 
Siloam, though there were other waters much 
more easily reached, and there they pitched their 
tents, — to use the ancient phraseology, — by the 
spring bubbling up beneath the shadow of the 



336 The White Sulphur Springs 

great oaks and the smile of the blue mountains. It 
was impossible to bring with them the luxuries 
to which they were accustomed (pine tables, "split 
bottom" chairs, hard beds were their portion) ; but 
what they could bring in full measure, flowing 
over, was wit, culture, refinement, good manners, 
good humor, the "family feeling," — characteristic 
of the South of ante-bellum days, which assumed 
that every man was a gentleman till he proved 
himself otherwise, and every woman a queen with 
proof or without it, and therefore fit associate in 
a society that was as free and untrammeled as the 
air they breathed. 

By this time we began to see the first green leaf 
of the tree that is to grow into "The Tread- 
mill." A White Sulphur society had been formed 
on the principles of the old world spas, there were 
hotels succeeding taverns, and drawing-rooms the 
"Old White" parlors. Legend says that Henry 
Clay offered his arm one night after supper to 
Mrs. John Preston, and that they marched around 
the big fauteuil that occupied the middle of the 
room. That Mr. Calhoun then bowed over the 
hand of Mrs. Rhett, of South Carolina, and joined 
the procession; that Gen. John Preston invited 
Mrs. McFarlane, of Richmond, to walk a measure, 
and Mr. Randolph pressed Mrs. Gen. Chestnut, of 
South Carolina, to imitate their good friends. 
The beautiful Miss Caldwell of her day, daugh- 



"The Treadmill" at the White Sulphur 337 

ter of the Governor of Virginia, walked with Chief 
Justice Marshall, as he was to be, and after this lead- 
ing, others fell in line. General Scott walked "The 
Treadmill" in his blue broadcloth and brass but- 
tons, his wide collar and bulging bosom; so did 
President Tyler, tall and stately, marching with 
dignified pace and escorting the lady upon whom 
the honor of his society fitly sat; Henry Clay 
deemed "The Treadmill" a proper place to show 
courtesy to the wife of a doubtful supporter, and 
gave his arm to a country dame, who blushed under 
her honors and talked about the "cutting out" of 
garments for the hands, or maybe whispered in his 
ear a recipe for souse, to which he listened with 
flattering attention. 

The books of the "White" show the names of 
many Presidents of the United States, including 
Van Buren, Fillmore, Tyler, Harrison, and Bu- 
chanan. The Springs were not too remote for 
Daniel Webster to come there, nor the Adamses of 
Massachusetts, nor the great St. Louis families, nor 
the New Yorkers who had intermarried with fami- 
lies of the South. And when the "White" became 
the headquarters of politicians, as it was shortly 
before the Civil War, there were very pretty bits 
of diplomacy enacted in "The Treadmill" where 
wary gentlemen became the obsequious knights of 
the wives and sisters and daughters of those whom 
they wished to honor or propitiate. 



33 8 The White Sulphur Springs 

There is a story that at the beginning of the 
dreadful news of the coming strife, a prudent Vir- 
ginian, whose vote in the constitutional convention 
was of great value, wavered. He did not want to 
see his "fair country disrupted," to use the his- 
toric phrase, and he had pretty much decided to 
say "No"; but his wife was all for separation, all 
for the most violent measures toward disunion. 
She was an old-fashioned woman and she used old- 
fashioned measures. First, she gave her lord a 
feast in imitation of the biblical diplomat, Esther; 
and that failing, she cut off his supplies. He ate 
salty ham and soda biscuits and there was no ice 
for his julep, and finally he capitulated. When the 
deed was done, he asked Madam why she was of 
the belligerents, and she said, "That nice South 
Carolina gentleman who used to walk with me in 
The Treadmill last summer so often when you 
were playing cards, Mr. Blank, explained it to 
me, and I decided then how you should vote." 

Of course this is a legend, but it contains a truth 
wrapped up in fiction. "The Treadmill" was not 
all beer and skittles to the perspiring statesmen 
on an August night, nor was walking 'round and 
'round without its effect upon heads apt to grow 
giddy with the rotary exercise; but in the end, it 
was worth it, for it was a place where flattery ex- 
uded as well as big drops of water on the fore- 



"The Treadmill" at the White Sulphur 339 

head, and words more weighty than words of love 
were spoken in the maze. 

After it was all over, "The Treadmill" became 
what it was intended to be, — a place for the exhi- 
bition of beautiful toilets, handsome figures and 
beautiful faces, a place where those who sat around 
and admired as, a few minutes before, they were 
admired when they took their turn, saw all the 
great ones of the political or social or literary 
world. 

The social heyday of "The Treadmill" was per- 
haps from '75 to '95, that is, the period when so- 
ciety at "The White" was distinctively Southern, 
though it gladly welcomed Northerners and so 
was an important factor in reestablishing good 
feeling between the warring sections. As in every 
resort of fashion, certain persons, certain families, 
set the pace, and as Southerners had suffered by 
the War more than had Northerners, they decreed 
that blood, breeding, distinguished service on what 
they deemed the patriot side, should overmaster 
money, fine apparel, and other claims to distinc- 
tion. One of the most beautiful, and at the same 
time the wittiest belles, as they were then termed, 
of Virginia, the daughter of a celebrated lawyer 
who had suffered as one of many in a Federal 
prison, came to the White Sulphur, as she de- 
scribed it, "in one black silk dress and her grit." 



34° The White Sulphur Springs 

And in the "one black silk and her grit" she walked 
into all hearts. 

Many of the jewels of the women of the South 
had been sold for necessities and many of the laces 
had met the same fate, but out of unsuspected 
hiding-places certain rare pieces were taken; and 
it was not unusual in the late seventies to see a 
woman of South Carolina or Georgia (seat of 
ruthless warfare), with an historic name, seated 
in her arm-chair, looking at "The Treadmill," — 
or herself participating in it, — dressed in a faded, 
almost threadbare gown, which was half covered 
as to neck and sleeves with a superb piece of rare 
Brussels or point de V enise, or dressed in similar 
garb, having in her ears blazing solitaires, or 
around her throat a string of perfect pearls. 

Among the men of that period were to be seen 
the spare grey figure of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, 
devoted habitue of the White, Governor Wade 
Hampton, of South Carolina; Ben Hill, of Geor- 
gia; Judge William Robertson, of Charlottesville, 
and Judge Moncure,— both members of the su- 
preme court; Mayor Grace of New York; the poet 
and traveler, Bayard Taylor; General Beaure- 
gard, of Louisiana; Joseph Harper, of the great 
New York publishing house; the Longworths, of 
Ohio; the Chauteaux, of St. Louis; the Prestons, 
the Castlemans, the Browns, of Kentucky; the 
Desaussures, Frosts, Pinkneys, Humes, of South 



"The Treadmill" at the White Sulphur 341 

Carolina; the Semmeses and Hills and Hugers, of 
Georgia, — the list is as long as Absalom's tresses, 
including Senators, Representatives, doctors of 
divinity, — Dr. Moses D. Hodge, Dr. Henry Alex- 
ander, Bishop Meade, — and pretty women from 
everywhere. 

Literature, too, met with a respectful reception 
when its votaries marched in "The Treadmill," 
and for a different reason than that which made 
the young hero of Inkerman depreciating his lady's 
praise, say, "because, you see, there were so many 
of us." There were fewer authors in that halcyon 
time than in this, when not to have written entitles 
one to be stuffed as a curiosity and put in the 
Museum of Natural History. 

Young Thomas Nelson Page had just waked to 
find himself famous as the author of "Mars' Chan," 
Armistead Gordon was pressing him hard, not then 
having chosen the sterner mistress, law. Christian 
Reid, the North Carolinian, was among the wor- 
shiped novelists, Augusta Evans, author of 
"Beula" and "Infelice," was a name at which the 
voice was lowered and people tiptoed to see her 
pass on "the winding way, The Treadmill way, the 
way The Treadmill goes." 

Like most institutions that exercise paramount 
influence, there was no written code as to the con- 
duct of those who walked in "The Treadmill." But 
as there is no written code in the iron rule of the 



34 2 The White Sulphur Springs 

great English schools, that intangible thing, which 
regulates the places where the aristocracy of Eng- 
land are taught ignorance of America, regulated 
behavior at "The White." True, there was dis- 
crimination. "The gentlemen," as they were still 
called, were allowed to pursue their industrial avo- 
cations somewhere around "Paradise Row" where 
the bachelors lived, every evening after "the 
ladies" — the term also was not yet obsolete — had 
sought their couches. And there were goings on, 
upon which piety and sometimes fortune frowned, 
to which it was not considered delicate to allude 
when the sexes met at breakfast. 

But card-playing was accepted as an ancient ob- 
servance, and the excellent behavior of the ladies 
was supposed to even up matters in summing up 
the traits of a family. For this reason possibly, 
therefore, rules of conduct for the belle were strict 
and unswerving. 

The writer recalls certain aspects of The White 
during the late eighties. Supper was early, and 
at about half-past eight the dowagers had taken 
their places along the wall, or on the great fau- 
teuil. Over in the ball-room the children were 
dancing, and the strains of music helped to quicken 
steps and pulses and make the promenade a rhyth- 
mic measure. Trains were in vogue and volumi- 
nous draperies, fans played their part in feminine 
attire, and the belles passed in review wielding 



"The Treadmill" at the White Sulphur 343 

this fascinating weapon, while bright eyes rained 
influence. Coquetry, even flirtation, received the 
approving glance of those upon the judgment seat. 
The announced engagement, which cuts off every 
possibility of escape from the too impetuous lover, 
and which was considered "most indelicate," was 
scarcely known. But a courtship was a source of 
universal interest, and the discarded suitor who 
had been given his conge that afternoon at Lovers' 
Leap, gallantly faced his rival as they met in "The 
Treadmill's" tortuous wind. The belle herself lost 
not one brilliant hue of her plumage because she 
had been dubbed "coquette." Had not the Queen 
of all the belles of a past age, wife of the great 
Virginia jurist, counted her hundred slain, and 
had not four gentlemen of as many states invited 
his friends to his wedding, which should also be 
hers? And did she not now sit in gracious dignity 
enthroned among the elect, while her daughters 
swung around in the maze? 

But there was a line, a rigid line drawn by those 
who arbitrated regarding "The Treadmill." "A 
married belle" did not long promenade among the 
charming girls and the stately matrons. For there 
was something in the atmosphere that crumpled 
up her delicate fripperies and paled her cheek, — a 
cold wind. The writer remembers the awful night 
when it became known to the jury that a beautiful 
young woman from the West had been divorced. 



344 The White Sulphur Springs 

"She should have gone to The Warm," said a dow- 
ager from South Carolina, where legal separation 
is unknown. Nor was explanation of this speech 
necessary. "The Warm" was the place for people 
in sorrow or in delicate health, who wished to be 
elegant, but quiet. 

And once there was a youngster of the wrong 
sex who laughed too loud, not the merry, natural 
laugh of youth, but the laugh of a hoyden. And 
something happened, and like Browning's "Last 
Duchess," she laughed no more. 

Such was the tribunal. It had its faults and its 
inconsistencies, but it had the virtues of its time 
and it kept before it the ideal of the Old South. 

Other times, other customs! With the new, all 
this has changed: changed the personnel of the 
guests, the habits of the hosts, the manner of acting 
and living. There are no "gentlemen" and 
"ladies," but "men" and "women," and as for the 
coquette, — poor butterfly, — she has perished in the 
cold wind from the North, where the true woman 
has one suitor and accepts him, for to have had 
more was to prove herself unworthy of her high 
calling. 

They are all gone, the dinner at two, where, if 
you complained of tough chicken you were re- 
proached by your boniface with being guilty of 
incivility. He gave you your food and only 
charged for the scenery. Gone the compromising 



"The Treadmill" at the White Sulphur 345 

strolls by Lovers' Leap and the pretty hill paths 
where people plighted their troth on six hundred 
a year, or on the prospect of graduating next sum- 
mer at the University. Gone the flirtations on the 
lawn. Did one go there after dark for the purpose 
of saying her prayers and accompanied by a spin- 
ster of fifty, the tribunal decided that she must 
pack her trunk and be off to "some unrestricted 
place like Cape May" by sunrise the next morning. 
Gone the "children's hour in the ball-room, the 
nightly german, the wine parties under the trees, 
the supper given by some lover of his kind or his 
lady love, where toasts were drunk and poetry 
quoted. Even politics and cigars on the piazza are 
gone, and no more does the spiritual descendant 
of the Honorable Elijah Pogram place his feet 
where, had they been eyes, he might have viewed 
the landscape. And gone is "The Treadmill." 
"The Old White," the great family gathering, as 
the South used to know it, is the New White of 
another civilization. Good luck to it and its deni- 
zens! But of the Old White only a memory re- 
mains, — a memory half sad, half merry. 



XII 

THE WHITE AS IT IS TO-DAY 

THE changes made in The White by the 
new control are fundamental. More 
than two millions of dollars have been 
spent to make it the most complete cure 
and health resort in the United States. The New 
Greenbrier has every feature necessitated by the 
luxury, convenience, comfort, and health of the 
twentieth century. It is a magnificent Georgian 
hotel, entirely fireproof, built in the most superb 
manner and provided with all the appliances of 
modern comfort that can be purchased by money 
or perfected by long experience. Let us describe, 
somewhat in detail, the great buildings and the 
new improvements. 

From the station a broad road leads to a gen- 
erous porte-cochere, this being the central feature 
of the approach, and the main entrance to the 
Greenbrier. A broad shallow flight of steps leads 
to a colonnaded, vaulted terrace, fifteen by one 
hundred and forty feet, from which you enter the 
main lounge of the hotel, — a Georgian room, 
eighty by sixty-five feet, paneled in putty-colored 

346 




' >ne of the Portals of the Greenbrier 
Facing page 346 




ti. 



The White as It Is To-day 347 

enameled wood, and lighted by fifteen Eighteenth 
Century crystal electroliers. In recesses at either 
side of the entrance are two imposing fireplaces, 
modeled after the famous Henri II fireplace in the 
Musee Cluny. This room is furnished, in accord- 
ance with the period, in mulberry antique velvet 
and dull gold. The large and luxurious lounges, 
of which there are twelve, are copies of the 
Charles I sofa of Knole Park. The same style has 
been followed in regard to arm chairs, fauteuils, 
banquettes, and so on. 

Opposite the entrance, and leading from this 
room, is a circular room, trellised in dull green 
and hung profusely with wistaria. This room 
contains a fountain and pool, gold-fish, and pond 
lilies. It is furnished in French cane, bay trees, 
and laurel. 

A fifteen-foot corridor leads from both sides of 
the main lounge. To the right we enter the Ladies' 
Reception room; this room is paneled in pale 
enameled wood, has a French lattice ceiling, and 
a large fireplace. The furniture, in Queen Anne 
gold and English mahogany, is covered with a 
French rayure, and an old French Toile de jouy 
is incorporated. 

Elevators and a ladies' dressing room flank this 
reception room. To the north of this is the Spring 
Room. This is a unique and interesting room, 
finished in old English brick with a Caen Stone 



348 The White Sulphur Springs 

vaulted ceiling, the floor of marble and Welsh tile. 
On the west wall recessed in a circular conserva- 
tory is the fountain from which the White Sulphur 
Springs water is served over a counter. Both 
the fountain and the counter were executed from 
special designs of the architect by the famous 
Doulton Potteries of England. On the south wall 
are two grottos made of stone imported from Italy 
for this purpose. At the base of each of these 
grottos is a pool, filled with lilies and gold-fish 
into which the water-plays fall. The east and 
west walls of this room are of glass, which are so 
arranged that they can be opened at will, making 
this into an al fresco lounge if desired. French 
wicker, greenery and marble-topped tables are 
used here. 

The Georgian Ball-room, fifty by eighty feet, 
separated from the Spring room by a glazed foyer, 
and to the north of it, has a color scheme in three 
shades of French gray. The walls are medallioned 
as is also the ceiling. Rose pink taffetas, tasseled 
and trimmed in gray, curtain the thirteen win- 
dows, and the chairs and banquettes, a special 
eighteenth century design, are covered with a 
French print Toile de jouy. In the four corners 
of the room a subdued light is cast by four huge 
Torcheres, painted gray, as are also the Georgian 
candelabra lighting the room. A promenade one 



The White as It Is To-day 349 

hundred feet long leads from the ball-room to the 
bath house. 

To the left from the lounge the general writing 
room is first entered, directly across the corridor 
from the offices. This corridor leads south to the 
main dining room, a room finished in Caen stone, 
French fenestration to the east and corresponding 
mirrors to the west. This room is one hundred 
and fifty feet long, terminating on the south with 
a circular bay fifty feet broad, opening upon the 
south lawn, upon which an al fresco dining place 
is arranged. The chairs of this room are Queen 
Anne in form, black lacquer with black and sil- 
ver seats. Silver sconces with candles and rose 
colored shades make an effective lighting for this 
room. 

Three private dining rooms, carried out in dif- 
ferent styles, adjoin the main dining room on the 
east. A cafe and gentlemen's lounge to the west 
is finished in Elizabethan manner, paneled oak 
and ornamental plaster ceiling, the windows being 
of leaded glass; an imposing Gothic fireplace 
forms an important feature. The kitchens 
and culinary offices are to the south of this cafe. 

As the hotel is built upon a sloping site, the 
south part of the building has a ground floor en- 
tirely above the level of the lawn. This ground 
floor can be reached from the main floor by the 
central staircase and one leading from the Spring 



350 The White Sulphur Springs 

room, which also goes to the gallery of the ball- 
room. The main entrance of the ground floor is 
through the generous arch of the crossway, con- 
necting the hotel with the bath house. It leads 
into a billiard room fifty by eighty feet, and thence 
by a fifteen-foot corridor into a gentlemen's writ- 
ing room, and a card room on the east, and a num- 
ber of stores for fancy and useful articles on the 
west. A central lounge is provided on this floor 
with news and book-stand, flowers, telephone and 
telegraph rooms, and barber shop. The remainder 
of this floor contains dining rooms for children 
and nurses, staff, chauffeurs, etc., and culinary and 
other apartments of the building. 

Above the main floor, and connected with it by 
three stair-cases, three elevators and a freight ele- 
vator, are five bed-room floors, each containing 
fifty rooms, with sitting rooms, baths, etc. These 
are furnished in the delightful home-like style 
which is generally known as English. The furni- 
ture and wood-work of the rooms are painted 
in soft tones of French gray, Queen Anne green 
and Italian yellow. Chintzes and printed linens 
are profusely used for hangings, bed-spreads, 
and bureau tops, and great attention has been paid 
to the conveniences, which are indispensable to the 
modern hostelry, such as proper lighting, heating, 
ventilating, and telephone service. No room in the 



The White as It Is To-day 351 

entire hotel is without its private toilet and lava- 
tory, and in most cases a private bath adjoins. 

The hotel, which is absolutely fireproof, was 
designed by Mr. Frederick Junius Sterner, of New 
York City, who, in connection with Miss Maude 
Sterner, also carried out the furnishings. 

In addition to this splendid hotel, a great bath- 
ing establishment has been completed upon a scale 
unsurpassed in either the United States or Europe. 
The bath house is a splendid architectural feature 
worthy of the Greenbrier Hotel, its nearby com- 
panion, and was constructed with every possible at- 
tention to make it one of the great cures of the 
world. The most advanced specialists in America 
have investigated all the cures and spas of the 
world, have learned from them their best and 
latest appliances for the cure of mankind, and 
planted these appliances in the heart of the Alle- 
ghanies surrounded by its pure air and life-giving 
properties. 

While The White has been a great resort for 
pleasure and for business, first and foremost has 
been the fact that its waters were specifics for the 
cure of many of the worst diseases that touch man- 
kind. Men come here debilitated, broken in 
health, with nerves tingling, stomachs destroyed, 
and limbs dragging; they return to their homes 
erect, vigorous, full of life and strength. The 
natural powers of the waters have been accentua- 



35 2 The White Sulphur Springs 

ted by the most scientific appliances, gathered 
from all parts of the world, and by utilizing the 
experience of the world for the purpose of most 
efficiently using the waters for cures. Every at- 
tribute of these mountains, — air, splendid location, 
and waters filled with life-giving radium, — is used 
here in its highest efficiency and with every latest 
means to make its use effective. The great bath 
establishment has every modern appliance for all 
of the approved forms of hydropathy. All the 
special baths at Baden Baden, Vichy, Nauheim 
and Aix les Bains are given in their most approved 
manner by the most experienced attendants from 
those resorts. Every form of douche, every sort 
of cold and hot water treatment, is here given at 
their best. 

This European cure without going to Europe is 
not a new discovery at The White Sulphur; for 
with its almost rude appliances, where the waters 
were merely heated by fire, for a hundred years 
men's lives have here been revitalized. Now, how- 
ever, this is the most complete establishment of its 
kind in America, and far-reaching success has 
attended the treatment of patients by the processes 
here in use. 

A golf course has been planned and created by 
the best artists procurable in this country, or in 
Europe; and in its scenic beauty and artful con- 



The White as It Is To-day 353 

struction it is unsurpassed by few courses, if any, 
in the world. 

The magnificent lawns, upon which nature has 
lavished her best efforts, have been improved and 
beautified, and great masses of flowers, beautiful 
walks, and wonderful drives are everywhere com- 
mingled in this historic old place. Through the 
splendid estate of seven thousand acres, romantic 
and picturesque drives and paths have been con- 
structed, and from them the visitor may behold 
an enchanting view of splendid mountains, charm- 
ing vales, winding streams, and beautiful meadows. 
Immense sums have been expended in improv- 
ing the roadways, so that there are drives that 
wind their way through a picturesque wilderness, 
or past beautiful farms or over lordly mountains. 

The old White Sulphur Hotel, filled with the 
sweetness of other days, has been renovated and 
revived. New luxuries have been added, new fea- 
tures have been made part of its life, and all this 
has been effected without destroying the old-day 
beauty of its splendid rooms, or altering its digni- 
fied exterior. Everywhere has the hand of taste 
and practical utility touched the old place with 
new life, giving it renewed ability to lay its so- 
journers under the thrall of its beauty and health- 
giving influence. 

The White has been connected by perfect travel 
arrangements with all the important points east, 



354 The White Sulphur Springs 

west and south. Through trains from New York 
make the Springs in thirteen hours; from Phila- 
delphia in eleven hours; from Baltimore in nine 
hours; from Washington in eight hours; from 
Richmond in ten hours; from Cincinnati in nine 
hours; from Louisville in fourteen hours, and 
from Chicago and St. Louis in twenty hours. 
Special sleeping cars will allow you to leave your 
office at five o'clock in the afternoon and to be 
the next morning in the balm-laden air of the Alle- 
ghanies. 

This great institution, with all of its splendid 
equipment and marvelous beauty of scenery and 
perfect appliances for restoring man to health 
and giving pleasure to others, is under the control 
of Fred Sterry, who, by sheer ability and genius, 
has made himself the unquestioned premier land- 
lord of America. 

Under the new regime The Old White is sur- 
passing the glories of the olden days, and whereas 
it once used to give pleasure to fifties and the res- 
toration of health to hundreds, it is now furnishing 
life, health, and pleasure to thousands. Under the 
old system the visitors at The White came only 
during the summer season. Now, under the far- 
reaching plans of the day, and by reason of the 
splendid equipment that has been installed, the 
summer season has been extended into a season that 
endures the whole year; and the lovers of The 



The White as It Is To-day 355 

White may view its life in the opening of the 
splendor of the spring in March and April and, in 
the soft Indian summer of our splendid autumn, 
wander amid its mountains, which are glorified 
with the brown, the yellow, and the gold, or live, 
comfortable and happy, in the life-giving air of 
mid-winter. The salubrity of the climate and the 
high altitude of The White combine to make it 
a place where spring, autumn, summer, and win- 
ter are alike helpful and delightful to those that 
sojourn within its hospitable bounds. 



XIII 

GOLF AT THE WHITE 

AT the White Sulphur Springs every 
natural requisite exists for one of the 
great golf courses of America; for the 
place possesses the three essentials nec- 
essary for a successful golf course: character of 
the soil, pleasant scenery, and the topography of 
the ground. The golf course here is a jewel in the 
midst of the most exquisite setting. All around it 
rise the Alleghanies. Here are Kate's Mountain, 
the Greenbrier Mountain, the White Rock and the 
Old Titan, or the "Giant of the White Sulphur," 
— all seemingly within reaching distance, with 
their splendid shoulders, undulating with green 
and sky-touching, covered with the oak, the pine, 
the cedar, the birch, and the rhododendron. 
Around their splendid tops nestle oftentimes the 
clouds; and a sunset on the golf course is one of 
the most exquisite sights to be looked upon in 
America. 

The course is a beautiful, undulating meadow 
dotted with splendid oaks and elms, with a bright 
lake mirroring its surface, and Howard's Creek, — 

356 




ft, 



Golf at the White 357 

almost a river, — offering splendid water hazards 
as it meanders its way along the beautiful valley. 
The links remind one of the golf links at Pau, 
France, which has been celebrated as one of the 
most beautiful courses in Europe. 

The character of the earth is all that can be 
desired, since the alluvial soil of the meadows, 
mingled with the clay of the mountains, presents 
the perfect compound for a golfing course. By 
reason of the character of the limestone and allu- 
vial soil, the course is one where from June until 
October, and from October until June again, you 
can play the game without being inconvenienced 
by the dampness. It is practically a year around 
course, with cooling winds in the summer, glorious 
and bright sunshine in the winter, and in the au- 
tumn a marvel of green land framed by the golden, 
the brown, and the yellow of the mountain; for 
here the early frosts play marvelous tricks with 
the green and brown of the Alleghanies. 

H. J. Whigham, the great authority, says in 
Town and Country, that "the new golf links at the 
White Sulphur Springs is beyond a doubt one of 
the finest courses in the country, and probably 
the very best south of Philadelphia." 

No expense has been spared to make it a perfect 
golf course. The work already has cost more 
than forty thousand dollars, and the intention of 
the White Sulphur Company is to make it as per- 



358 The White Sulphur Springs 

feet as the marvelous location and the expendi- 
ture of money will allow. 

The distance for the eighteen holes is six thou- 
sand two hundred and fifty yards. The holes 
embrace most of the features of the national golf 
links of Southampton, Long Island. 

Mr. C. B. McDonald, the greatest authority on 
golf architecture in America, assisted by Mr. Seth 
Raynor, who did much of the work on the new 
Piping Rock course on Long Island, practically 
carried to completion this splendid work. The 
short holes include a "Redan" and an "Eden" hole 
and, says Mr. Whigham, "A full-drive hole, taken 
from Biarritz in France, which has also been used 
at Piping Rock." The longer holes are worked out 
along the same high conception, and they include 
three of the "dog's hind leg" variety, without 
which no modern course is perfect. A nine-hole 
course for beginners and for those not desiring the 
full course is part of the system. 

The turf is as fine as any in the world. The 
grass indigenous to the White Sulphur region is 
the blue grass, which mats quickly, becomes level 
and solid, and is ideal for putting. The putting 
greens are of grass. 

It is not generally known that the White Sul- 
phur was one of the earliest places in America at 
which golf was played. The account, so beauti- 
fully related by Miss Florence Flynn, the accom- 






o 



,!* n 




H 



A & VJf 



ct. 



Golf at the White 359 

plished correspondent, is most interesting to the 
lovers of the game. She says: 

Back in the Alleghany Mountains, a couple of miles 
from the famous resort of the White Sulphur, nearly 
three thousand feet above sea-level, on Dry Creek, 
there nestles between two commanding ranges a val- 
ley that is more Scotch in the characteristics of its 
scenery than anything to be found in the South. Here, 
at "Oakhurst," the home of Mr. and Mrs. Russell 
W. Montague, of Boston, was the first golf organiza- 
tion in the country. It was informal, and there were 
half a dozen members only, but regular medal plays 
were a feature, and for six successive Christmas days 
the players met in what might be termed the first series 
of annual tournaments in the United States. 

In the '6o's, '70's, and '8o's a small coterie of 
Scotchmen and Englishmen with varied interests set- 
tled in Greenbrier County. They were all gentlefolk; 
one was a hardwood lumber exporter, another had 
vast fruit orchards, a third tarried and settled because 
the climate was ideal, the scenery grand, and his neigh- 
bors congenial. 

It was in the early days of the first Cleveland ad- 
ministration, in 1884, that Lionel Torrin, a young 
Scotch tea-planter, arrived from Ceylon, India, with 
several sets of clubs and a quantity of balls, to visit 
his uncle, George Grant, of London, whose place, 
Greycliffe, was one of the magnificent estates in 
Greenbrier County. In India, England, and Scotland 
Torrin was noted as a crack golfer, and when he 



360 The White Sulphur Springs 

wrote George Grant that he was coming for a visit 
to the States, the latter knew that time would hang 
heavily for his nephew if there were no links. 

At an adjoining estate were Alexander and Roder- 
ick Mcintosh McLeod of Dalvey, near Forres, Moray- 
shire, Scotland. When Grant suggested a golf links, 
the two McLeods were enthusiastic, as was Mr. 
Montague, a Harvard '74 man, who had played at 
St. Andrews and was a member of the other clubs in 
the old country. 

They hadn't thought of it before. But why not? 
The country was like a bit of the bonnie heather hills 
of Scotland set like a jewel in the heart of the Alle- 
ghanies. 

Mr. Montague offered his place as the most con- 
venient and centrally located for the proposed course. 
The two young Scotchmen from Dalvey were assisted 
by Grant and Montague. They all set to work, and, 
with the assistance of their farm hands and negroes, 
the course was ideally laid out. It stands to-day a 
monument worthy of the most famous and ambitious 
of professionals who have laid out and developed 
well-known courses throughout the world. The Mon- 
tague place was admirable for golf links, and, first in 
the States, was the sportiest to be had. 

Conditions were entirely different then. The cups 
still in the ground are cumbersome, thick, and heavier 
than those used to-day. Clubs, too, have changed 
somewhat, when the latest are compared with those 
first used in the United States, and still in Mr. Mon- 
tague's possession. Solid brass was used in the con- 



Golf at the White 361 

struction of all the heads in the iron clubs, and the 
wooden heads of the drivers and brassies were longer 
and narrower than those now used. 

The balls brought over from Edinburgh were gutty, 
larger, and much heavier than ours and always sank 
in water. They had little or none of the bounce of 
the present-day ball. However, the Oakhurst players 
have always insisted that they never got as much pleas- 
ure out of the game anywhere as at their own links 
with their old clubs and balls. 

Many and amusing were their experiences. They 
were looked upon by their neighbors and friends as 
victims of an insane fad or hobby. They were the 
subjects of great curiosity. One afternoon a tally-ho 
party drove over from the hotel to call on the Mon- 
tague family. They alighted to find a game on. They 
watched the progress of the players over several 
holes without comment. Finally, one of the men ex- 
pressed the disgust of the others when he remarked: 
"Well, I did play marbles when I was a kid, but, by 
gad! this is the first time I've seen men playl It may 
be a fine game for a canny Scotchman, but no Ameri- 
can will ever play it except Montague." 

Rev. R. H. Mason, a well-known Virginia clergy- 
man of the time, who had heard much of the odd 
game that was being played back in the mountains, 
went over one afternoon in time to see the golfers 
drive off from the first tee. As the last player, Mr. 
Montague, in no uncertain terms, expressed his dis- 
gust when he slived a drive which took him into the 
ditch. Dr. Mason remarked that it was easy, and 



362 The White Sulphur Springs 

insisted that any baby could play. Montague handed 
him his driver and told him to see what he could do. 
Mason missed and topped the ball several times be- 
fore a sliced drive landed him in the ditch. After he 
had played over a hundred strokes he made the hole. 
He closed the incident by remarking that it was a "sci- 
ence," not a game. 

From time to time various members of the organi- 
zation, which called itself from the beginning the 
"Oakhurst Medal," went abroad to their homes in 
the British Isles and brought back the latest in clubs 
and balls, as well as Scotch tweeds and other golfing 
clothes. 

The fact that the clubs and balls were passed by the 
Customs House at New York without any question 
was extremely interesting in the light of an experience 
had several years later by George M. Donaldson, an- 
other Scotchman, who joined the Oakhurst coterie. 

He arrived from his native heather, and after all 
his luggage had been stamped with the official seal 
passing them into this country, the inspector noticed 
his bag of golf sticks. 

"What's this you have here?" he asked. 

"My golf sticks," laconically replied Donaldson. 

"Your what?" demanded the minion of Uncle Sam. 

"My golf clubs, my sticks." 

Then noting the blank amazement of the man, who 
by that time was deeply engrossed in a minute exami- 
nation of one of the clubs he had taken from the bag, 
Donaldson asked: 

"Surely, my man, you play golf?" 




ft. 



Golf at the White 363 

"Play what?" 

"Golf," almost screamed the then irate Scotchman. 

"You don't mean to tell me you play a game with 

this — this ," stammered the inspector. "Well, it 

may be a stick that you play a game with, but I don't 
pass these until I know more about them. I never 
saw anything like them before. I shall have to get 
an official ruling about them." 

He called in another inspector. It was finally de- 
cided to hold the bag up, after Mr. Donaldson con- 
sidered he had been grossly insulted by one of the 
inspectors remarking that "they were more like elon- 
gated blackjacks or implements of murder." 

Three weeks later, after an official ruling had been 
sent on by the Treasury Department at Washington, 
the clubs were forwarded without further ado to 
Donaldson at Oakhurst. 

Ten years or more ago the club disbanded. The 
coterie of golfers broke up with the departure for 
various parts of the world of the players. 

Mr. and Mrs. Montague still spend the greater 
part of the year at their charming mountain estate, the 
scene of the original links in the United States. The 
same charming hospitable atmosphere, which promp- 
ted the offering years ago of the estate for the links, 
still pervades Oakhurst, which from early May to 
November, is kept as open house for all who tarry. 

Young Torrin, the inspiration of the Oakhurst 
Medal, has interests in India, though, since his mar- 
riage several years ago, he makes his permanent home 
in England. 



364 The White Sulphur Springs 

The McLeod brothers, dashing, handsome chaps, 
now live at their ancestral home at Dalvey, and 
George Grant, though he retains his interests in 
Greenbrier County, and owns thousands of acres, is 
living in London at present. 

Grant was one of the most popular residents ever 
known in the West Virginia country. He was a crack 
shot, had hunted big game in India and, among the 
best of hunters in the state, sustained a reputation 
made in England when he was a member of the Cam- 
bridge team that defeated Oxford in the first English 
inter-university shoot in the '6o's. 

George Donaldson, the remaining member of 
the Oakhurst Club, this year departed this life. 

Our genial friend, R. W. Montague, is still with 
us, and his golf links are still extant; but from the 
small beginning great things have grown and the 
old-fashioned, sporty links of our delighted friend 
have now as their neighbor and successor the most 
magnificently laid out and expensively constructed 
golf links in the South, the equal of any in 
America. 

Oakhurst is gathering fame even more far- 
reaching than that of being one of the first places 
for the playing of golf in the United States, for 
this is the home of Margaret Prescott Montague, 
whose swiftly growing reputation as a charming 
and versatile writer is being won by work that is 
a delight to thousands of readers. 



XIV 

THE GEOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF THE WHITE 
SULPHUR SPRINGS 

FROM this wonderful region of the 
White Sulphur Nature beckons with 
inviting hand to the tired, the worn and 
the sick; for here she has placed the cure 
for the diseases brought to mankind by the very 
many phases of ill-health and by the stress of our 
serious life. Surrounded by pellucid air, covered 
by the azure sky, and situated on the mountains, 
verdure-covered from their base to their top, 
where clear streams flow, and where the days are 
never too hot nor the nights too cold, — it seems 
that every attraction has been placed here by the 
Mighty Hand for the good of those who tread the 
strenuous road of life of this the twentieth century. 
Here you can renew life. In other places you 
have the pure air and attractive surroundings; 
here you have all those advantages, joined with 
Nature's most health-restoring water, all mixed 
by the matchless hand of creation; here the al- 
chemy of nature has strangely blended all the 
waters that cure, and has poured them out amidst 

365 



366 The White Sulphur Springs 

attractive surroundings with the most bounteous 
copiousness. 

This district, in the midst of which is situated 
the White Sulphur, has a greater variety, and a 
more wonderful plenty of health-giving waters 
than all the other mineral spring sections of the 
world. When you begin to ascend the foot-hills 
of the Alleghanies you are above the vast labo- 
ratory in which phenomena of nature are being 
worked out, and where the mighty influences un- 
derneath the crust of this earth are compounding 
and forcing to the surface waters more healing to 
the ills of flesh than anything produced in pharma- 
copoeia by three thousand years of human skill. 

We know not why one mountain pours from its 
exhaustless fountains the hot water on one side, and 
over on its other slope the cold, and from another 
surges the warm, nor do we know why from the 
deep caverns come the chalybeate waters, and in 
the valley below, the alum, the magnesium, the 
salt, and the sulphur. Yet, we do know that bub- 
bling up from the depths of the earth, all within 
two hours' ride of the White Sulphur, is every 
variety of spring known to the medical world. The 
chalybeate, the alum, the sulphur, the alkaline, 
the salt, the magnesium, the radium, the hot, the 
cold, and the warm, — all in their greatest profu- 
sion and perfection, — are found within a radius of 
seventy-five miles. Within a morning's ride are 



The Geological Conditions 367 

the Rockbridge Alum, famous for the cure of all 
blood, skin, and stomatic diseases; the Cold Sul- 
phur; Wilson's Springs, and the Rockbridge 
Baths; the Salt Sulphur, the Green Sul- 
phur and the Blue Sulphur, noted for their 
cure of intestinal and stomachic troubles, rheuma- 
tism, and dyspepsia; the Red Sulphur, almost a 
specific for tuberculosis and all bronchial troubles; 
the Bath Alum, a cure for all blood, skin, and 
diuretic troubles; the Hot, the Healing, and the 
Warm Springs, almost specifics for rheumatism 
and nervous troubles and for the rebuilding of 
worn-out mankind; the Sweet Chalybeate Springs, 
where quickly revives the jaded appetite; Pence 
Springs before whose assault fierce dyspepsia re- 
tires in defeat, as well as the Millboro Springs 
and the Walla Walla Whatoola, the Daggers, and 
the Old Sweet Springs, in whose limpid waters 
you may wash away every nervous or rheumatic 
trouble, and where you may quaff the precious 
waters that regenerate and revive the worn body. 
The sandstone at the White Sulphur Springs is 
the Oriskany Sandstone. The Oriskany Sand- 
stone belongs to the Devonian Age in Geological 
Columns, and is the basal member of that period. 
Over this sandstone occurs a black fossiliferous 
shale that has been named the Marcellus Shale. 
It is very black and very nearly resembles coal. 
The shale contains sulphide of iron, and it is 



368 The White Sulphur Springs 

generally believed that where deposits of iron 
are found along the Alleghany Mountains it orig- 
inated from the decomposition of this shale. 

Springs are always influenced by the character 
of the rock, or material, through which the water 
flows. Thus, when water flows through the coarse, 
conglomerate, hard sandstone of the Pottsville 
series, a splendid soft drinking water is found; and 
when it flows through limestone, or limy shale, the 
water becomes hard, since it takes up the salts of 
lime. 

The temperature of the water from the White 
Sulphur Springs is from five to six degrees warmer 
than ordinary spring water. When here, it is most 
interesting to thoughtful persons to know where 
they are geologically, and to understand the theo- 
ries as to the causes that produce these wonderful 
health-giving springs. Therefore, we give here 
as most satisfying the deductions of the late Prof. 
W. B. Rogers, one of the great geologists of the 
world, whose theories and investigations we accept 
as the safest of any at hand. 

(No. 8) 1 — Resting in contact with the sandstones, 
and usually forming the lower hilly slope of the moun- 
tains in which they occur in arched or anticlinal form, 
we meet with a dark colored and very fissile slate, 

1 In ascending order from No. 1, No. 8 is the eighth member of 
the geological series. 



The Geological Conditions 369 

which constitutes the lowest bed of the group of 
slaty rocks forming the eighth member of the series. 
These strata, which occupy a large extent of surface 
in our mountain region, are not less conspicuously 
characterized by the topographical features to which 
they give rise, than by their marked peculiarities of 
hue and structure. Sharp, irregular hills, deeply fur- 
rowed on their sides, and succeeding each other with 
but little order or arrangement, mark the topography 
of the regions in which these rocks occur. A further, 
and equally conspicuous characteristic of the rocks in 
question, consists in their frequent and remarkable 
contortions, a phenomenon well calculated to awaken 
curiosity and surprise wherever they are extensively 
exposed. Very obvious differences of structure and 
external characters are presented in different portions 
of this series of slates, and have suggested the pro- 
priety of a triple subdivision of the strata. The low- 
est of these rocks, or that which rests upon the sand- 
stone No. 7, distinguished by its bluish black color, 
and by its scaly and fissile texture, causing it to fall 
into thin wafer-like fragments, or to crumble in slen- 
der fiber-like pieces, resembling portions of decaying 
wood, I have designated as the black fissile slate of 
No. 8. The second variety, presenting various dark 
shades of green, but more especially remarkable for 
a deep olive tinge which is most pleasingly displayed 
in the weathered and fragmentary condition of the 
rock as it occurs along some of the highways of the 
state, I have denominated the olive slate of No. 8. 
The third, which is much less uniform in appearance, 



37° The White Sulphur Springs 

or homogeneous in composition, than either of the 
preceding, embraces many beds of more massive struc- 
ture, exhibiting, especially in its lower and middle por- 
tions, a yellowish green and a deep brown coloring, 
and always distinguished by the rust or ocherous 
staining of its weathered surfaces. Becoming more 
siliceous as we approach its upper boundary, it ter- 
minates in thick beds of sandstone of a dirty gray 
color, frequently mottled with purple or greenish 
spots. This I have named the ocherous portion of 
No. 8. 

The presence of iron pyrites in nodules, generally 
of a spheroidal form, or in a disseminated state, es- 
pecially in the lower of the subdivisions above de- 
scribed, favors the disintegration of the rock, gives 
rise to the incrustations of alum, copperas and gypsum, 
with which its exposed surface is usually overspread, 
and imparts to the springs arising in it that sulphur- 
eous and chalybeate impregnation for which they are 
generally remarked. Though not in general rich in 
organic remains, these slates contain many bands or 
thick beds abounding in them in a very high degree. 
These organic layers are, or evidently have been, 
more or less calcareous. A stratum of limestone of 
pretty good quality, and two or three feet in thickness, 
is frequently found interpolated among the upper beds 
of these slates, and is remarkable for the number and 
beauty of the impressions it contains. 

The exposures of this member of the series are so 
numerous and extensive, that it is almost unnecessary 
to refer to particular districts for exemplification. I 



The Geological Conditions 371 

may, however, be allowed to remark upon some of its 
most important localities, as illustrating its geological 
position and characters. The Cowpasture Hills, of 
which an interesting section may be observed along 
the turnpike road leading through Jenning's Gap, to- 
gether with much of the comparatively level region, 
extending to near the base of the Warm Spring Moun- 
tain, present admirable exposures of all the subdivi- 
sions of these slates, and strikingly exemplify their 
tendency to contorted arrangement. Similar and 
equally instrictive exposures are exhibited through a 
large part of the route from the Warm Spring Valley, 
by Cedar Creek and Callahan's, to the White Sulphur 
Springs. Occasionally the subjacent sandstone, No. 7, 
rises into view, and sometimes even the limestone, 
No. 6, still lower in the series, is brought up as at 
Callahan's Rock; but for the most part, the road 
winds among the steep and broken hills of No. 8, 
occasionally exposing portions of the next superior 
member of the series. The ridges usually designated 
as the Alleghany in this portion of the state, forming 
the eastern boundary of Pocahontas county, and ly- 
ing west and north of the Warm and Sweet Spring 
valleys, are for the most part made up of the rocks 
of No. 8, capped in some places by the lower rocks of 
No. 9. In the structure of the Branch, or Great 
Shenandoah Mountain, the relations of these slates 
are well exposed. The basin-shaped or synclinal ar- 
rangement of the rocks of this lofty and rugged range, 
exhibits these strata dipping under the mountain, on 
both its eastern and western flanks, and forming the 



372 The White Sulphur Springs 

wildly broken, and strongly shaded hills, which are 
crowded along its sides. 

The hills whose diversified and picturesque outlines 
impart such interest to the scenery around the White 
Sulphur Springs, are chiefly composed of these slates, 
the lowermost division of which may be seen in va- 
rious points, resting on the flanks of the sandstone 
hill (No. 7), from the bosom of which the waters of 
the spring make their escape. These rocks accompany 
us for some distance towards the Greenbrier River, 
and then give place, successively, to the higher mem- 
bers of the series, until we find ourselves surrounded 
by the strata of No. 1 1, in the vicinity of that stream. 

In Hampshire, Hardy, and Pendleton counties, the 
strata of No. 8 are extensively exposed along the 
sides of the anticlinal ridges, such as the Capon, 
Sandy, Patterson's Creek, South Branch, Knobly, 
North Fork, and Bullpasture mountains, and occupy 
most of the intervening valleys. In Bath, Alleghany, 
parts of Greenbrier and Monroe, Rockbridge and 
Botetourt, as well as some of the more southern 
counties, their topographical relations are much the 
same; though in proceeding far south, important mod- 
ifications arise, both in the material and structure of 
these slates. 

Sulphuretted waters are of very common occurrence 
in No. 8. In general, the impregnation, gaseous as 
well as solid, is not great; but in many instances, it is 
fully competent to the production of striking remedial 
effects, and justifies the repute in which several of 
these waters are held. 



The Geological Conditions 373 

(No. 9) — This member of the series exhibits less 
constancy of character than the preceding. In the 
northern district, it consists of shales and slaty sand- 
stones, generally of an argillaceous composition, and 
presenting an alternation of beds of brown, red, green, 
yellow and dark gray coloring. Proceeding south, the 
argillaceous composition and the variegated hues of 
these strata become less striking, until in the middle 
district a dark brown micaceous, and somewhat argil- 
laceous sandstone, and slate, is found to occupy the 
principal share of this division of the series. 

The synclinal structure of the Shenandoah, or 
Branch Mountain, of which mention has already been 
made, beautifully exposes these variegated shales along 
the higher portions of both the eastern and western 
slopes, first appearing immediately above the grayish 
sandstone of No. 8, and terminating in the most ele- 
vated parts of the range at a small distance below 
the summit, which here is formed of the strata of 
the next superior member of the series. Further south, 
along the same ridge, as at Dry River Gap, and to- 
wards Shaw's ridge, the monotonous brown or dark 
reddish slate becomes predominant; and under the 
same modifications, these shales appear on the eastern 
declivity of the front ridge of the Alleghany near its 
base. In the neighborhood of the White Sulphur, as 
before stated, between Huntersville and the Green- 
brier river, in Pocahontas county, and in numerous 
other districts, these red-slates of No. 9 are exten- 
sively exposed, but perhaps in no district do they pre- 
sent more satisfactory or striking developments, than 



374 The White Sulphur Springs 

in the wild gorges which lead from the limestone 
region of Rockingham, through a succession of precipi- 
tous and lofty hills, to the eastern base of the Shenan- 
doah mountain. 

(No. 10) — This consists of rocks of very hetero- 
geneous character, though arranged in general with 
remarkable uniformity. A red sandstone containing 
white siliceous pebbles, usually about a half inch in 
diameter — a gray, rather open grained sandstone, and 
a beautiful white conglomerate — a coarse conglomer- 
ate, consisting of very large pebbles, embedded in a 
light olive or dingy green paste — yellowish, olive and 
dull red micaceous soft sandstone — having something 
of a shaly structure, constitute the principal rocks 
forming this curious group. Beautiful ripple mark- 
ings are often met with on the surfaces of the large 
slabs of the finer of these sandstones. Many of the 
strata of this, as well as the preceding member of the 
series, are remarkable for the facility with which they 
may be divided into thin slabs of uniform thickness 
and great extent, and in virtue of this property, as 
well as the durable character of the rock, present an 
admirable material for building. The finer and 
harder variety, of a gray or light yellowish green 
color, is often used for grindstones, for which it would 
appear to be admirably suited. When thus cleft, the 
surfaces of the slabs occasionally reveal superb col- 
lections of organic markings, among which fucoides 
and calamites deserve to be particularly mentioned. 
Laminae of coal less than a quarter of an inch in 
thickness, have been remarked at several points in 



The Geological Conditions 375 

the more shaly strata of this group, but there is no 
reason to look for an important vein of this mineral 
among them. These rocks may be well seen near the 
bridge over Howard's Creek, on the road from the 
White Sulphur to the Greenbrier River, and again a 
little east of that river, on the road from Huntersville 
to the base of the Greenbrier mountain. In the latter 
locality the coarse conglomerates are very extensively 
exhibited. 



ON THE CONNECTION OF THERMAL SPRINGS IN VIR- 
GINIA, WITH ANTICLINAL AXES AND FAULTS 

The proximity of some of the noted Thermal 
Springs of Europe to lines of remarkable disturbance 
in the stratification, appears to have been early noted. 
In recent times similar observations have been greatly 
multiplied. 

With the exception of brief and rather incidental 
notices published by myself and others, and the com- 
munication of Dr. Daubeny to Silliman's Journal and 
the Ashmolean Society, no account has yet been given 
of the peculiarities of geological structure, associated 
with the thermal springs of the United States. Indeed, 
the supposed rareness of their occurrence in this 
country, compared with many parts of Europe, and 
their comparatively slight excess of temperature in 
most instances over the ordinary springs, have natu- 
rally rendered them less inviting as subjects of obser- 
vation. 



2j6 The White Sulphur Springs 

My objects in the present communication are first, 
to call attention to the very frequent occurrence in 
thermal springs among the axes of the Appalachian 
chain in Virginia; secondly, to indicate certain laws of 
position, by which I have found them to be governed, 
and thirdly, to point out the important bearings of 
those facts when connected with the peculiar geology 
of the region, upon the theory of a generally diffused 
internal heat. 

According to the views of Professors Daubeny and 
Bischoff, every spring is to be regarded as Thermal 
whose temperature exceeds the atmospheric mean of 
the region in which it is situated: and in conformity 
with this definition, the former of these philosophers 
has proposed, "in constructing a scale of temperature 
in regard to them, to calculate it not by their actual 
warmth, but by the degree of their excess above the 
mean of the climate." Thus we know, that the ordi- 
nary superficial springs under the equator have a tem- 
perature as high as some of the celebrated thermal 
waters of Europe and America. In Mexico the tem- 
perature of seventy-two degrees, corresponding with 
the mean of the climate, belongs to the common 
springs, while in Virginia the same temperature ren- 
ders decidedly thermal the well known fountains of 
the Sweet Springs Valley, which rise in a region whose 
average is about fifty-one degrees. 

Admitting that the elevated temperature, observed 
in mines and artesian wells, is dependent upon a 
generally diffused internal heat, increasing with the 
depth, and not upon chemical or volcanic agencies of 



The Geological Conditions 277 

local operation, the class of thermal waters, as above 
described, ought to include a large proportion of such 
springs as are not of superficial origin. Indeed, under 
any view of the sources of their temperature, all 
springs ought to be included in this class whose heat 
is invariable, or when liable to change never sinks 
below the atmospheric mean of the place. Some de- 
cidedly thermal springs, as, for example, the White 
Sulphur Springs of Virginia, display considerable 
variations of temperature with the change of seasons 
or of weather. It would, therefore, not be correct 
to assume permanency of heat as the criterion of 
thermal character, however completed in the ordinary 
circumstances of springs, such permanency would seem 
to prove that the waters in which it is observed belong 
to the thermal class. It may be fairly assumed in 
general that a spring presenting a uniform tempera- 
ture, or one which, in its fluctuations, never descends 
below the atmospheric mean, cannot be dependent for 
its heat upon the atmosphere and superficial strata. 
Hence the general dissemination of such springs over 
a widely extended region, furnishes the strongest evi- 
dence for the existence of a perennial source of heat 
within the earth. 

As remarked by Bischoff, the coldest springs of uni- 
form temperature, provided they do not derive their 
waters from a neighboring mountain, will exhibit the 
nearest approximation to the average temperature of 
the country; but will always be a little, though it may 
be a very little, higher. Guided by these views, he 
has shown, from extensive observations in Germany 



378 The White Sulphur Springs 

and other parts of Europe, that thermal springs are 
of far more frequent occurrence than had been sup- 
posed, and indeed, that nearly all the copious mineral 
springs there, and probably, by inference in other 
parts of the continent, are of this denomination. 

Observations of these slightly thermal, as well as 
of warmer springs, though thus numerous in some 
parts of Europe, have perhaps been too much con- 
fined to such regions as are known or may be sup- 
posed to have been at one time the theater of local 
volcanic activity, to admit of our inferring, with con- 
fidence, that the elevation of temperature thus ob- 
served is the result of a generally pervasive heat 
within the earth. Indeed, the very frequent occur- 
rence of intrusive igneous masses, among the rocks of 
a large part of Europe, is calculated to weaken the 
force of such an inference gradually, as applied to that 
portion of the earth's crust. 

In this country, the vast belt of mountains occupied 
by the Appalachian strata presents, as I conceive, a 
region peculiarly favorable for unambiguous observa- 
tions of this class, in consequence of the absence, ex- 
cepting along its eastern border, of trappean or other 
erupted rocks. From my own observations, made from 
time to time during the last eight years, chiefly in 
Virginia, I am led to conclude that a great proportion 
of the copious and constant springs of this belt, and 
more especially those of our great limestone valley, 
are truly though slightly thermal, and that they owe 
to a deep subterranean source the remarkable uniform- 
ity of temperature they exhibit. 



The Geological Conditions 379 

The details embraced in the tables of our thermal 
springs, will, I think, justify the assertion, that in no 
region hitherto described is the connection of springs 
of this class with the structural features of the district 
in which they occur, so uniformly and extensively dis- 
played as in our Appalachian belt. The fifty-six 
springs enumerated embrace twenty-five distinct lines 
and individual localities, situated in various and re- 
mote parts of the Valley, and the mountainous belt 
adjoining it on the northwest, making in all an area of 
about fifteen thousand square miles. Forty-six of 
these springs are situated on or adjacent to anticlinal 
axes, seven on or near lines of fault and inversion, and 
three, the only group of this kind yet known in Vir- 
ginia, close to the point of junction of the Appalachian 
with the Hypogene rocks. 

It may therefore be announced as the prevailing 
law, as regards the more decided thermals of Virginia, 
and I have reason to believe of other parts of the 
Appalachian belt, that they issue from the lines of 
anticlinal axes, or from points very near such lines. 

A brief illustration of the section is instructive and 
interesting. 

SECTION V 
ACROSS THE SWEET SPRINGS VALLEY 

The structure of this valley, like that of the Warm 
Springs, is due to a great anticlinal axis. Commenc- 
ing at a point southwestward of the termination of 



380 The White Sulphur Springs 

the latter, this valley extends for about fifteen miles 
in a nearly west-southwest direction, bounded by the 
Sweet Spring or Peter's Mountain on the southeast, 
and by the Snake Run or Little Mountain on the 
opposite side. Where the limestone, For. II, begins 
to be exposed by the opening of a great anticlinal 
range of For. Ill and IV, and for a short distance 
towards the southwest, the strata have a normal flex- 
ure, those on the northwest side of the axis dipping 
steeply towards the northwest. But as we proceed to- 
wards the southwest, the flexure increasing, causes an 
inversion of the strata on the northwest side, accompa- 
nied by an occasional crushing and partial concealment 
of the slate rocks of For. III. These conditions, first 
seen at the group of thermals on Snake Run, continue, 
with some fluctuations, to near the southwest end of the 
valley, the amount of dislocation gradually but irregu- 
larly augmenting as we trace the Little Mountain in 
that direction. Beyond this point the fault rapidly 
increases, so that in the distance of a few miles not 
only the rocks of the Little Mountain, but all the strata 
intervening between For. II and For. XI, (carbonif- 
erous limestone) have been swallowed up. In this 
condition, occasionally varied by the intrusion of in- 
wedged knobs or masses of the ingulfed strata, we 
may trace this extraordinary dislocation along the 
northwest base of the Peter's and East River Moun- 
tains for more than fifty miles, after which it is still 
further continued with a new topography. 

The Sweet Springs flow out from the steep-dipping 
and inverted limestone near the center of the valley; 



The Geological Conditions 381 

the Red Springs and Snake Run group from points 
nearer the junction of this rock with For. Ill, of the 
Little Mountain. The streams fed by these copious 
fountains, flowing towards the northwest by narrow 
transverse valleys through the Little and Snake Run 
mountains, have accumulated a great thickness of tu- 
faceous deposit, forming in the neighborhood of the 
Red Springs a succession of picturesque cascades. 

Gas, consisting of nitrogen with a considerable 
amount of carbonic acid, escapes freely from all these 
springs, rising from the Sweet Springs in copious 
streams. Much dissolved carbonic acid is also pres- 
ent, rendering most of these waters decidedly acidu- 
lous, and enabling them to retain in solution a marked 
proportion of carbonate of iron, as well as the more 
usual ingredients, carbonates of lime and magnesia. 



SECTION VI 
THROUGH THE WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS 

The axis in which the White Sulphur Springs arise, 
and that of the thermal of Brown's mountain, are 
nearly, though not exactly, in the same line. They are 
further from the southeastern margin of the Appa- 
lachian belt than any others referred to in the tables, 
their distance from the Blue Ridge, in a direct trans- 
verse line, being about forty miles. The White Sul- 
phur axis, exposing For. VII, at the springs, dies out 
in a short distance towards the southwest; but, traced 
in the opposite direction, expands into a considerable 



382 The White Sulphur Springs 

ridge, bringing into view the upper part of For. VII, 
here of considerable thickness, and eventually termi- 
nates in a roll or slate of For. VIII, near Anthony's 
Creek. In the neighborhood of the springs the flex- 
ure of the strata is remarkably abrupt, the gentle slope 
on the southeastern passing into a vertical or slightly 
inverted dip on the opposite side of the axis. With 
the exception of this and another adjacent but very 
inconsiderable line of exposures, the surface of many 
miles on either side is occupied by the slates and sand- 
stones of Fors. VIII and IX, bent and contorted by 
numerous lesser axes, and in the Alleghany Mountains 
and the numerous adjoining hills, carved by denuda- 
tion into a variety of picturesque forms. 

The waters of the White Sulphur are copious, but 
accompanied by very little evolved gas. The few bub- 
bles I have succeeded in entrapping, proved to be 
nearly all nitrogen, but it is uncertain whether they 
arose with the water from the depths below, or were 
developed in the basin of the spring. 

Though decidedly thermal, these waters have a 
fluctuating temperature, never, however, as I think, 
approaching nearer than ten degrees to the atmos- 
pheric mean. 1 

They form the only instance within my knowledge 
of a strongly sulphureous and at the same time ther- 
mal water in the United States; and in these respects 
bear a close analogy to certain thermals of the Py- 
renees. 

1 Dr. Daubuny, who visited the White Sulphur Springs when in 
this country, did not advert to their being thermal. 



The Geological Conditions 383 

The plumose, filamentous growth, involving a 
large amount of hydrated sulphur, which lines the ba- 
sin and outlet of these waters, and which from its color 
has given rise to the name of White Sulphur, is also 
found in other sulphureous springs in the State, and 
has caused the adoption of this name as descriptive 
of such springs as a class, notwithstanding their want 
of agreement in other and far more important par- 
ticulars. Organic products of another kind, developed 
in the enclosures of the Red, Blue, Gray, Crimson and 
Green Sulphur Springs, and whose true nature was 
also first suggested by myself, have by a little connec- 
tion originated the names by which these springs are 
respectively known. Observations beyond, as well as 
in the State, have satisfied me that similar organic 
products are to be met with, in some one or more 
forms, in all the sulphureous waters of the Appala- 
chian belt, and that they are peculiar to waters of this 
class. Having read with great interest Dr. Lankester's 
"notice of the plants and animals found in the sul- 
phureous waters in Yorkshire," as given in the report 
of the British Association for 1840, I have been much 
gratified at finding these opinions corroborated by the 
observations of that gentleman in regard to the sul- 
phureous waters of Harrowgate, Askerna, and the 
neighboring district, and I enjoyed no little surprise 
in recognizing in the conferva which at those places 
"collects in large quantities around the sides of the 
wall," and in the animal deposit, "varying from a 
light pink to a rose color," the objects which impart 
such beauty to some of our celebrated sulphureous 



384 The White Sulphur Springs 

springs, and which six years ago I pronounced to be 
of "vegeto-animal" origin. I may here add, by an 
experiment made at that time on the water of the 
White Sulphur, which in its basin and outlet produces 
little or none of the rose-colored deposit, I found that 
I could at will give rise to it by collecting the liquid 
in an adjoining cavity in the dark sulphureous mud — 
and I remarked that before the material of the rosy 
film collected on the surface beneath, it continued dif- 
fused in the liquid for some time like a faint pink 
cloud, changing its position and density. This, with 
other observations, suggested the idea of its being due 
to animalculae, which under certain favorable condi- 
tions as to light, and perhaps temperature, quiescence, 
and the contact of particular substances, would always 
display themselves in our sulphureous waters. For the 
distinct determination of the forms and relations of 
these organic objects by the microscope we owe our 
thanks to Dr. Lankester. 

Of the mechanical and chemical agencies concerned 
in the production of some of these thermal springs, I 
have already briefly expressed my views, while describ- 
ing the structure of the Warm Springs Valley, and its 
enclosing mountains; and I need hardly add, that the 
same general explanation is equally applicable to the 
other thermals, situated in anticlinal valleys. In car- 
rying out this view more in detail, and especially in 
applying it to cases like that of the Sweet Springs Val- 
ley, where the anticlinal axis passes into a prolonged 
line of fault, it has appeared to me to be necessary 
as well as reasonable to admit, first, that the subter- 



The Geological Conditions 385 

ranean channels which operate both in furnishing the 
requisite supplies of water and air to the depths be- 
low, and in forwarding the thermal stream under hy- 
drostatic pressure, must have a direction conforming 
in general to the strike of the rocks; and secondly, that 
the direction of the downward flow of the meteoric 
waters, is in a great degree determined by the natural 
partings of the strata, or, in other words, by the plane 
of dip. 

These conditions granted, it will at once appear, 
that in a closed anticlinal valley, like that of the Warm 
and Hot Springs, thermals, if occurring at all, might 
be expected to appear along its whole length, in a 
linear arrangement, and near its western boundary. 
It would also seem, in this case, that the height of the 
comparatively elevated ground at the two ends of the 
valley would determine the hydrostatic column em- 
ployed in bringing the water to the surface. 

Where, however, the valley is closed only at one 
end, as in that of the Sweet Springs, the case is, I think, 
different. Thermals may of course be looked for 
towards the closed end, and in this position they are 
found; but it is a remarkable fact, that the line of fault 
constituting the prolongation of the axis of the Sweet 
Springs, though continued to a distance of more than 
fifty miles, does not disclose a single thermal through- 
out its whole extent, nor have I yet succeeded in dis- 
covering more than one spring of the kind, in other 
parts of the Appalachian chain, where similar geo- 
logical conditions prevail. On the other hand, in the 
prolonged line of fault running along the southeastern 



386 The White Sulphur Springs 

base of the Little North Mountain, close to the north- 
western margin of our great Limestone Valley, and 
at other points, where the same structure exists, many 
thermals have been detected, several of which, from 
their marked elevation of temperature, are included 
in the preceding catalogue. 

These results are, I think, sufficiently explained by 
reverting to the two conditions above specified, in con- 
nection with the form of the surface, and the position 
of the strata in the vicinity of these faults. In the 
first case, where For. XI, the strata composing the 
narrow belt of the former, along the northwest base 
of the great range of Peter's and East River Moun- 
tain, and southeast of the line of fault, as well as the 
rocks of these ridges, dip at a moderate angle towards 
the southeast, and therefore away from the fault. On 
the opposite, or northwestern side of the fault, the 
country is comparatively level, the Little Mountain 
which formed the western boundary of the Sweet 
Springs Valley having been ingulfed in the vast hiatus. 
Hence, though the rocks of XI, for a short distance 
northwest of the dislocation (through the breadth 
over which the formation continues inverted), actually 
dip towards the fault, the flat topography on the north- 
west is not such as naturally affords a hydrostatic col- 
umn sufficient to raise the water from a great depth 
to the surface, along the line of fracture. Nor could 
we expect the heights of Peter's Mountain on the 
southeast to furnish such a column, since the southeast 
dip of the strata there would rather oppose than facili- 
tate the passage of the liquid towards the fault, and 



The Geological Conditions 387 

would most probably convey it to subterranean tracts 
lying towards the southeast. There is also another 
feature, to which, as I conceive, some influence is to 
be ascribed in preventing the occurrence of thermals 
along this line. The strata of For. XI, although over- 
turned where they are in contact with For. II, con- 
tinue in this position across but a narrow belt towards 
the northwest, and by a rapid curvature below are 
soon brought into a very gentle northwest dip, or into 
a horizontal attitude. Their upturned edges could re- 
ceive directly from the atmosphere but small supplies, 
and these, most probably, in part at least, would be 
conveyed away towards the gradually declining level 
on the northwest. 

Turning now to the second case, of which we have 
an example in the fault adjacent to the southeastern 
base of the Little North Mountain, we at once dis- 
cern this important difference, that while the direction 
of the dip and inversion is the same as in the preced- 
ing, the high grounds of the Little North Mountain 
lie to the northwest. Hence the downward drainage 
between the strata on the flank of this ridge, conform- 
ing to the southeastern dip of the rocks, must be 
towards the fault, and the hydrostatic columns com- 
municating with the heights, and following the plane 
of dip, will in many cases have sufficient power to force 
up the heated water to the surface, at certain points 
along or near this line. 

The numerous class of thermals whose point of issue 
is exterior to the bounding ridges of an anticlinal val- 
ley, owe their origin, as I conceive, to the same general 



388 The White Sulphur Springs 

agencies as have been above considered. Bearing in 
mind that in the great majority of cases they flow out 
from the northwestern boundary, the vertical or in- 
verted rocks of which are greatly shattered, and that 
their point of exit is generally below the level of the 
valley, it is reasonable to suppose that, in many in- 
stances, they have been conveyed away from beneath 
the surface of the valley, when, in a less fissured condi- 
tion of the strata towards the northwest, they would 
have been forced to rise at some point within its con- 
fines. In many cases, too, the downward drainage of 
the northwestern ridge itself is fully adequate to carry 
the requisite amount of fluid to the seat of heating 
and chemical action, and by hydrostatic power, to raise 
it again to the surface at a much lower level. 

In speculating with regard to those thermals which 
issue at or near the base of a continuous anticlinal 
mountain, it is important to bear in mind, that while 
cracks and partings are found generally attendant upon 
flexures of the strata, these openings are by far the 
most numerous and extensive in that part of the curve 
where the change of direction is most abrupt. Hence 
they will be found descending in the interior of the 
mountain much in the direction of the axis-plane, and 
will lie nearer to the northwestern than the southwest- 
ern side. The meteoric waters supplied through these 
channels will find an exit whether by the natural slope 
of the gently dipping rocks on the southeast of the 
anticlinal, or through the fissures of the shattered and 
steeply inclined or inverted strata on the northwest. 
Where but little of this Assuring occurs on the north- 



The Geological Conditions 389 

west side, they would meet with least obstruction by 
flowing in the opposite course, and might, therefore, be 
looked for on the southeast. Such would seem to be 
the case with the thermals of the Mill Mountain and 
Kayser's (Sections I and IV), where the steeply in- 
clined strata are comparatively entire. But, as for- 
merly remarked, the usual position of thermals is 011 
the opposite side of the anticlinal axes. 

It may here be added, that where such springs pre- 
sent a temperature but little above the atmospheric 
mean, it is unnecessary, in accounting for their heat, to 
suppose that the water has been conveyed to any very 
considerable depth below the base of the mountain, 
as the subterranean line of equal temperature (cathod- 
isothermal line), deflected upwards by a massive and 
steep anticlinal range, would come nearer to the gen- 
eral surface. 

Such is a sketch of the views to which I have been 
led in considering the positions occupied by our ther- 
mals, in connection with the probable mechanical agen- 
cies by which their waters are accumulated and brought 
to the surface. Though in some degree hypothetical, 
as must be all attempts at explaining the unseen mech- 
anism of nature, they are, I think, in harmony with 
observation, and at all events possess the merit of 
agreeing in general principles with doctrines sanctioned 
by the authority of such names as Arago and Bischoff. 

As regards the evolved gases and the chemical in- 
gredients of these springs, my opinions, like those of 
others who have speculated on this subject, are, con- 
fessedly, far from satisfactory. While I am inclined, 



39° The White Sulphur Springs 

in some respects, to agree with the views which have 
been so ably advocated by Dr. Daubuny, in relation to 
the origin of the gases and other matters associated 
with thermal waters, I am by no means prepared to 
adopt the hypothesis that such impregnations are 
chiefly due to the chemical action of the metallic bases 
of the alkalies and earths; much less can I accede to 
the opinion, that the heat of our thermals, as well as 
that of the rocks from which it is directly derived, is 
due to what is usually termed volcanic action. 

Deferring my objections to these views to a later 
head, I would venture to throw out a suggestion as re- 
gards the evolution of nitrogen from these and other 
thermals, which appears to me not unworthy of con- 
sideration. Admitting, with Dr. Daubuny, what I 
think extremely probable, that this gas, as it appears 
in thermals, is but a residuum of the atmospheric air 
which, conveyed from the surface to the source of heat 
below, has there been partially or entirely deprived of 
its oxygen, I would inquire whether the composition 
of the rocky beds through which the atmosphere is 
thus conducted is not itself capable of explaining the 
result. 

The limestone For. II, and the slates forming a part 
of For. I, always contain more or less protoxide of 
iron and carbonaceous matter, even after long expo- 
sure to the action of the weather. Where freshly taken 
from a new excavation at some depths, the latter rocks 
abound in the protoxide, and the limestone exhibits 
nearly all its iron in that stage of oxidation. It would 
therefore seem probable, that these and the other 



The Geological Conditions 391 

strata deposited beneath the Appalachian sea, contain, 
at great depths, this oxide to the exclusion of the 
sesquioxide. Looking to the large accumulation of the 
latter in a hydrated state, segregated in various parts 
of these several formations, it is not unreasonable to 
infer an even greater proportion of the protoxide in 
the deeply buried strata than would correspond to the 
whole quantity of iron combined in the rock above. 
That the presence of diffused organic matter, such as 
we know to have been deposited with the other ma- 
terials of the strata, would secure the protoxide from 
further oxidation, while still in contact with the waters 
of our great Appalachian ocean, is a result in har- 
mony with what we witness in our present seas, and 
with the known chemical relations of the substances 
concerned. Conceding, then, the existence of the pro- 
toxide in due proportion to these older formations, and 
imagining the air to obtain access to these strata at a 
depth at which the temperature is sufficiently high to 
cause a rapid absorption of the oxygen by the pro- 
toxide, we should have a large amount of the residuary 
nitrogen evolved. The carbonaceous matter also 
would help to rob the air and aid in the production of 
the carbonic acid, by which the nitrogen is uniformly 
accompanied, although it is to the calcination of 
calcareous rocks that, in common with others, I would 
refer most of the carbonic acid which our thermal 
waters contain. 

These conjectures thus thrown out, though, as I 
think, not entirely useless, are offered with that dis- 
trust which must always attach to speculations that 



392 The White Sulphur Springs 

cannot be brought to the touchstone of actual obser- 
vation, and more especially, too, from the fact that 
they do not appear to have suggested themselves with 
any force to the able philosophers who have investi- 
gated this subject. That I may not be misconceived, 
I here beg to remark, that I have no disposition to 
deny the hypothesis of the metallic bases, as applied 
to volcanoes, or even to some thermal springs. On 
the other hand, I would adopt it, as a part of the gen- 
eral theory of the causes concerned in the formation of 
the early crust of the globe from a molten, and chiefly 
metallic mass. But, in this later stage in the history 
of our earth, I would venture to doubt the propriety 
of resorting to it in explaining the phenomena of ther- 
mal waters in general, and more particularly of those 
to which my own observations have been directed, and 
I would give a hearty welcome to any theory which, 
dispensing with the necessity of penetrating to such 
enormous depths in search of waters by the known 
properties of the rocks, in connection with a generally 
diffused internal heat. 

In considering the bearing of the preceding details 
respecting the thermals of Virginia upon the doctrine 
of a general subterranean heat, as compared with that 
of local foci of volcanic action, there is one fact in 
geology of our Appalachian region particularly deserv- 
ing of attention. I mean, the almost entire absence, 
over its vast surface, of igneous or volcanic rocks. 
These occur at only four or five points, without any 
observable relation to axes, and away from the neigh- 
borhood of any known thermals, and are in such 



The Geological Conditions 393 

small amount as together not to cover an area of more 
than ten acres. Add to the preceding this further fact, 
that our thermals are not confined to particular lines 
of axes, but are scattered at remote points over the 
whole region, and it will at once appear, with how 
much more reason they may be referred to a pervasive 
subterranean heat, than to points or lines of volcanic 
action. To apply the latter explanation, we must give 
to these local foci a diffusion beneath the surface, 
which would, in fact, amount to abandoning the doc- 
trine of merely local heating action, and admitting that 
of a general internal heat; while, in adopting this lat- 
ter, we see in the peculiar positions of our thermals 
in reference to axes, simply those mechanical condi- 
tions which favor the access of air and water to the 
deep-seated, and therefore hot strata in the interior, 
and their expulsion at the surface. 

Adopting the language used by the eminently philo- 
sophic Phillips, when referring to arguments urged in 
favor of the hypothesis of local volcanic action, as the 
cause of thermal springs in general, I would say, 
"These arguments, when taken in connection, appear 
to us to prove that the heat of the springs is derived 
from the depths of the channels in which they flow 
below the surface," and "it seems unnecessary to ap- 
peal to local volcanic excitement for an effect which 
spreads, both in time and area, far beyond the traces 
of purely volcanic phenomena." Such being the in- 
ferences of one of the ablest of geologists, from a 
comparison of the chemical and geological relations 
of the thermals of the old world, with what augmented 



394 The White Sulphur Springs 

force may they not be reiterated, after the preceding 
development of these relations in a region which, like 
our Appalachian chain, is almost destitute of even a 
trace of proper volcanic action! 




p-> 



o 



fe 






XV 

THE WHITE SULPHUR AND THE SOUTH 

IT is difficult for one not a part of the old 
South to understand the relation that the 
White Sulphur held to the people on the 
lower side of Mason and Dixon's line. The 
Southern people did not live in great cities, as did 
the people of the North, but were a country peo- 
ple who generally inherited ancestral homes. The 
life of the Southerner in the majority of instances 
was modeled after that of the English aristocracy. 
With the conditions surrounding them and the 
institution of slavery about them, a great meeting- 
place became almost a necessity to their life. From 
the social system of the South, then, irrespective 
of the great healing and curative properties of the 
waters of the White Sulphur, grew largely the 
character and life of this place. 

Apart from the question of slavery, the South 
differed from the North in several essential par- 
ticulars. The members of the governing families 
of the South had intermarried and were largely 
inter-related throughout the Southern country. I 
would say that the ruling families of the South did 

395 



396 The White Sulphur Springs 

not number more than four hundred, and these 
were bound together in many instances by ties of 
close relationship, by blood, and by marriage. 
Hence a member of a well-known family in the 
South, whether or not personally known to the 
members of that family outside of the State, was 
welcome where there was one member of the 
family. So, if a member of that family came from 
under the shade of the hanging moss of South 
Carolina, from the cotton fields of middle Geor- 
gia, from the hemp lands of Missouri, or the corn 
and wheat plantations of Virginia, he was not a 
stranger, but was known and taken in to one or 
another of the circles of this great resort. This 
assisted in making the White Sulphur one great 
family gathering-place for the whole of the South- 
ern people. 

The institution of slavery necessarily brought 
with it in the South the aristocratic, and, prac- 
tically, the baronial life; and that life was more 
nearly allied to the English country life than any 
system that has ever existed outside of Great Brit- 
ain. In addition to this, by reason of the warm 
climate of the South, the people necessarily were 
compelled, for a great part of the summer season, 
to leave their homes. To this place, with its foun- 
tain of healing waters, its congregation of those of 
similar thought and blood, its cooling breezes and 



The White Sulphur and the South 397 

its pure air, the people of the South turned as the 
Mohammedan does to Mecca. 

Many things in the life of this people brought 
about the peculiar social conditions at the White 
Sulphur Springs. Living in the country, far from 
the cities, — an agricultural people, — the only form 
of social intercourse was the visit of one family to 
the home of another. This was the genesis of the 
unbounded lavish hospitality of the Southern 
family. 

The civilization of the South, while touched 
with all the elegancies of life, was in its way a 
provincial civilization; yet it was attended with 
the utmost decorum, the most rigid etiquette, and 
for the reasons I have just given, environed by the 
broadest and most lavish hospitality. It was a 
civilization unique in the history of this country, 
and possibly of the world; a system where those 
who ruled its destiny were members of a free gov- 
ernment, yet were served by generations of people 
whose whole duty it was to attend to the comfort 
of their masters. Having its home in the country, 
it naturally assembled around this great center 
where all could meet as a large family. 

The White Sulphur was practically the clearing 
house of the South. It was in its character simi- 
lar to the old county court of the Southern states, 
where at some stated time every one of importance 
assembled. The White Sulphur for these reasons 



398 The White Sulphur Springs 

was far-reaching in its influence upon the people 
of the South. Were a settlement to be made by 
people living far apart, a political convention to 
be held, or a financial development to be inaugu- 
rated, it was at the White Sulphur, where all as- 
sembled at one season under the oaks and the 
pines, that the discussion was held and the plans 
matured. This was particularly the case in regard 
to political matters, for if a convention of the 
South were to be held in the early days of the 
republic, when the South for two generations held 
its firm hand on the reins of the government, it 
was to the White Sulphur that its delegates bent 
their steps, and from here many times the destiny 
of this country was directed and its policy settled. 

The old slaveholders of the South, bringing 
with them their personal servants and equipages, 
their home surroundings, their children, their 
rigid etiquette, made it their abiding-place from 
early spring until the frost whitened the Allegha- 
nies. For these reasons it was the greatest public 
meeting-place and the most potent social assem- 
blage that America has ever seen. 

Says a writer, in 1837: 

The greatest charm of this place, is the delightful 
society which is drawn together in every agreeable 
variety, by its health-restoring spring. From the east 
you have consolidationists, tariffites, and philanthro- 



The White Sulphur and the South 399 

pists; from the middle, professors, chemical analysts, 
and letter writers; from the west, orators, and gentle- 
men who can stoop lower, jump higher, dive deeper, 
and come out drier, than all creation beside; and 
from the south, nullifiers, union men, political econo- 
mists, and statesmen; and from all quarters, function- 
aries of all ranks, ex-candidates for all functions, and 
the gay, young, agreeable and handsome of both sexes, 
who come to the White Sulphur to see and be seen, 
to chat, and laugh and dance, and each to throw his 
pebble on the great heap of the general enjoyment. 

The social life here was in full play, as it was 
under the broad portals of the homes of the people 
of the South. The home life of the Southern peo- 
ple, in its way, was a simple existence. Living far 
apart from each other on their great plantations, 
their life at home was a healthy, outdoor life; and 
so it continues at the White Sulphur. From 1830 
up to 1857 a large number of those coming to the 
Springs owned their own cottages, and their life 
here was the same as it existed at their own homes. 
The summer under the great oaks and the shade of 
the mountains of Greenbrier was the event in the 
life of our people. They came here, not as we 
of the twentieth century come to our short holiday; 
for their sojourn here was one of the essentials of 
their lives. In many instances the journey from 
their homes to the White Sulphur occupied more 
than three weeks. The trip was a series of visits 



4-00 The White Sulphur Springs 

to friends and relatives, of resting-places on the 
way, of hospitable meetings and gatherings, as the 
journey progressed. 

The journey was organized in a far more elab- 
orate manner than are the journeys of our day, 
with the Pullman, the telephone, the telegraph, 
and the automobile. It was the event of the year; 
for the master (whose word was law to possibly 
half a thousand dependents) and the mistress (who 
cared for the sick and looked after the great do- 
mestic affairs of the plantation) were turning their 
duties over to other hands, and giving up for the 
time being the control of a great estate. The trip 
was characteristic of the society and the times. 

The procession was long and imposing. First 
came the outriders of ebon hue, each on a horse and 
leading another animal; then the master on his 
thoroughbred with one of the sons riding beside 
him; then the heavy traveling carriage, with its 
splendid horses driven by the greatest dignitary of 
the plantation, "the carriage driver," carrying the 
mother, the wife, the children, and the "mammy." 
Then came the lighter equipages bearing bright- 
eyed girls filled with the joyous anticipation of 
the pleasures of a summer at The White, and 
behind these came the other conveyances, con- 
taining the belongings of the family and the 
"house girls" of the olden days, — the maids of 
the present, — whose duty it was to assist in bright- 



The White Sulphur and the South 401 

ening and adorning the young lives of the fair girl- 
hood on their way to a summer at The White. 

These people did not come sporadically; they 
came every summer; and Alabama Row, Virginia 
Row, Baltimore Row, Florida Row, South Caro- 
lina Row, Paradise Row, and Louisiana Row were 
their homes for four or five months in the year. 
The master brought with him his butler, body 
servant, carriage driver, hostlers, house men, the 
house girls, and here, with practically all the para- 
phernalia of his home about him, he entered upon 
the daily life at the Springs. 

In the early morning was the drinking of the 
water, for this place at all times, while of course 
the social life controlled, was essentially a health 
resort. After breakfast was the splendid gallop 
of the young people on their thoroughbreds, or a 
morning dance, or cards, or a picnic; the discus- 
sion of political and business matters by the older 
people over a Virginia toddy or a White Sulphur 
mint julep. The great event of the day was the 
dinner. This was a midday repast and took place 
at from one to two o'clock, and the dining-room, 
at this hour, was the great social meeting-place of 
the day. Friends were invited, relatives were at 
the table, lovers sat at the board by the side of the 
blushing maidens. This, under Southern social 
conditions, was an hour of supreme enjoyment. 

In the afternoon there was the ceremonious call 



402 The White Sulphur Springs 

and the thousand duties that attended a social 
life so intertwined as was that of the White Sul- 
phur before the War. Then came the tea or sup- 
per in the evening. It was not the elaborate din- 
ner of to-day. After this, all would assemble on 
the great verandas until the time of the dance and 
discuss the affairs of the day or the ball of the 
night, and look over the register, which was re- 
ligiously placed in the great drawing-room for the 
inspection of the guests. At this time was the re- 
laxation hour of the day, and the meeting of the 
women, who were in supreme control of the social 
etiquette of the place. Then came "The Tread- 
mill," in which all the guests joined until the time 
of the White Sulphur Reily, a unique dance known 
nowhere else in the land, or in any other place. 

After this was the ball, which was stately and 
ceremonious, and where the life of the South was 
in full play, because they, of all people in the 
world, were a people who loved the dance. Al- 
though this was an hour of supreme enjoyment, 
etiquette was absolutely rigid. It was an assem- 
blage peculiar to this old place and to the unique 
civilization that controlled and governed its life; 
and while master and mistress danced, around the 
cottages and the quarters was heard the ringing of 
the banjo, or the laugh of the negro, who counted 
it his delight to be chosen one of the servants who 
were to spend the summer at The White. 




Account of Henry Clav 



Facing page 403 



The White Sulphur and the South 403 

Here, myself a slaveowner when a child, — the 
son of five generations of slaveowners, — let me 
kindly but firmly correct the impression that, be- 
cause the Southern people were slaveowners they 
were a hard people, and that the joyousness of their 
life was a veneer, thin and deceptive. This is said 
here so that the people coming after us and spend- 
ing their time under these shady oaks and on these 
broad lawns and beneath the shadow of the moun- 
tains, will understand that the people of the South 
were a kindly people, notwithstanding the institu- 
tion that, with the approbation of every sensible 
man in the South, has forever perished. This 
statement is surely not out of place, because from 
the vast changes in this old resort and the wonder- 
ful transformation that has occurred here in the 
last few years, it is becoming national in its char- 
acter and no longer represents the life and home of 
merely one section of our country. These old 
Southern people were a gentle people. As a mat- 
ter of fact, the institution of slavery gave them time 
and leisure from personal toil to cultivate their 
lives in accordance with the elegancies of exist- 
ence and never in the slave-owning community, 
among the people with whom I lived, did I ever 
know of an instance of cruelty to the people whom, 
under the system of the day, they owned. Cruelty 
did exist, of course, in isolated instances, and such 
cases, — leaving out of consideration the want of 



404 The White Sulphur Springs 

place for this institution in the customs and life of 
a free government, would utterly condemn slav- 
ery. 

From the time of Washington until the War, 
nearly every President of the United States made 
the White Sulphur his vacation place, and the 
statesmen of the whole country frequently assem- 
bled here to discuss the condition of the Union. 
The President's Cottage, with its colonial portico, 
still exists as it did during the time when it was 
a practical seat of the executive government of the 
United States. 

In the old account books we find in one day 
registered Rufus Choate, Massachusetts; Thomas 
Corwin, Ohio; William C. Rives, Virginia, and 
Millard Fillmore, New York. Andrew Jackson, 
Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, Audubon, and 
Lewis and Clark were visitors. President John 
Tyler married Miss Julia Gardner, a great beauty 
of Virginia and a belle of The White, and they 
spent their honeymoon at the President's Cottage. 

What a marvelous list the old registers show! 
Clay, Marshall, Calhoun, Crittendon, Lindsey, 
Breckinridge, Carlisle and Meany of Kentucky; 
Stephen Decatur, Webster, Adams, Jefferson, 
Patrick Henry, Leigh, Monroe, Madison, Pierce, 
Floyd, Barber, Carroll, Calvert, Fairfax, Hamp- 
ton, Thurman, Benton, Cass, Douglas, Rives, Pres- 
ton, Grant, Arthur, Carlisle, and hundreds of 




Account of Commodore Decatur 
Facing page 405 



The White Sulphur and the South 405 

other names bright as the stars of heaven, but too 
numerous to mention within the limit of these 
pages. Here came King Edward, then Prince of 
Wales, and here, too, Madame Jerome Bonaparte. 
The books of the place abound in the names of 
poets, divines, travelers, and warriors, but above 
all is the aroma of the romance of the Old South. 

The sparkling days of the White Sulphur were 
the days of the romanticism and the chivalry of 
the South. Filled with the old time splendor, 
touched with the chivalry of a day that the con- 
ditions of the South brought about and accentu- 
ated, this section assembled at the White Sulphur 
its bravest and best. The corridors are redolent 
with the witchery of the old days where the smile 
of the Belle of Mobile, or of the Queen of the 
Blue Grass of Kentucky, brought to that maiden's 
feet the gallant cavaliers of the south, to worship 
with the old-time courtesy, sweetness, and chiv- 
alry. Here reigned the Creole of Louisiana and 
the winsome girl from the hanging moss of South 
Carolina. It was a day where the conditions of 
the South, its wealth, and its prosperity, brought 
about a state of social existence unparalleled on 
this continent. 

Old Virginia, then in practical control of the 
political affairs of this country, assembled here 
her masters and mistresses, and with them came 
the maiden who held the hearts of the gay cava- 



406 The White Sulphur Springs 

liers of the Valley, the Piedmont, the Tide- 
water country. The dance went merrily on, with 
no premonition save in the bosom of a few, as to 
what was to come. Along these shady paths the 
thralldom of the bright sunshine, the azure sky, 
the green trees, the bright smile, the courteous 
bow, and the deep heart-throb held firmly its 
victims, and many a marriage, fateful in its destiny 
to the South, was here consummated. 

These days, filled with their life, their bright- 
ness, and with the romanticism of the Old South, 
shed their sweetness around the old corridors, and 
the whole place is redolent of the smile of the 
maiden, — yet resonant with the merry laugh of 
her devoted cavalier. 

After the War, clothed in cotton and calico, in- 
stead of in silk and satin, these bright maidens and 
splendid cavaliers laid their hand to the work 
that Providence had set them to perform, and 
turned bravely to another day and another system. 
And after the storm had passed over, at this place 
they again assembled; and recognizing that the 
old days had gone forever, they did their best, 
men and women, for the rehabilitation of the 
South. Here General Robert E. Lee, Gen- 
erals Beauregard, Joseph E. Johnston, and Peg- 
ram, and ex-President Davis met to discuss the 
conditions of the South and to attempt to bring 
back life to the desolated land. With the collabo- 



The White Sulphur and the South 407 

ration of our brethren of the North, the work has 
been grandly accomplished, and here, on these 
broad lawns and under the shade of these corri- 
dors, were worked out many of the plans for the 
rehabilitation of the South after the War. 

The life of the White Sulphur had a potent 
effect upon the life of the people when dispersed 
to their homes. The place was in its way an ideal 
of the people, — and with the passing of this old 
civilization, — joyous and splendid, happy and 
romantic as it was, full of defects, it is true, there 
is the hope and the belief that a greater and more 
splendid life will crown The White, and that it 
will affect for good the whole country as it did 
the civilization of the Old South. 

This is the parting word of the Old South to 
the Old White, and the prayer of every true man 
and woman of the New South is that the sweet 
shades and pleasant places of the Old White may 
bring joy, happiness, gladness, laughter, and health 
to the people of the coming day, and usher in, 
without stint or distinction, a social system that 
will affect for good all the people of our republic. 

THE END 



INDEX 



Alexandria, Va., 15. 

Alleghany Mountains, 15, 21, 22, 

24, 33- 

Anderson, Mrs., first user of 
waters, 51. 

Averell, Gen. W. W., com- 
manded Union forces Battle 
of White Sulphur Springs, 
263 ; report of Battle of White 
Sulphur Springs, 275-290. 



B 



Bailey, Anne, 29-32. 

Bath House, 76-81, 351. 

Baths, 51, 75-77, 79-8i. 

Battle of White Sulphur 
Springs, 263-295; report of 
Gen. Jones of, 273, 274; re- 
port of Gen. Averell of, 275- 
290. 

Battle of Lewisburg, 201-295. 

Battle of Point Pleasant, 29, 44. 

Beaver Dam Falls, 204. 

Blue Ridge Mountains, 20. 

Bowyer, Michael, 52. 

Buffalo, 27, 28, 49, 50. 



Caldwell, James, father of White 
Sulphur, 52, 53. 

Carpenter, Kate. 51. 

Carpenter, Nathan, first paten- 
tee, 50. 

Chesapeake & Ohio Railway 
map, 15. 

Clendenin, Archbl., and wife, 43. 

Clcndennin, George, 30. 

Clendennin, Fort, 30. 



Climate, 72. 

Colonel's Story, The, 209-262. 



Donnally's Fort, 45. 
Dry Creek, 56, 263-265. 
Dupont, Sen. Henry, saved 
buildings, 58, 59. 



Golf Course, 356-358. 

Golf, history of, at the White, 

359-364- 
Greenbrier, The, 346-352. 
Greenbrier Country, 27, 40-46. 
Greenbrier County, when 

formed, 45. 
Greenbrier River, origin of 

name, 26. 

H 

Howard's Creek, 26. 



Indians, 42-44, 49. 

J 

James River and Kanawha 
Turnpike, 33; beginning of, 
47; first location, 56; monu- 
ment, 36; part in War, 35; 
stage houses on, 34. 

Journal of a Lady, Season of 
1837, I3I-I7L 

K 

Kanawha River, 22. 
Kanawha Valley, 23. 
Kate's Mountain 51, 214. 



409 



410 



Index 



Lewis, Gen. Andrew, 28, 29; at 
Battle of Point Pleasant, 44. 

Lewis, Col. Charles, 29. 

Lewis, Col. John, 26, 39; grant 
to, and others, 41. 

Lewis Trail, 27. 

Lewisburg, 30; Battle of, 291; 
first settled, 48; old church 
at, 37; report of Gen. Cox, 
291 ; report of Gen. Heth, 291, 
292. 

Lovers' Walk, 214. 



M 



Map of Chesapeake & Ohio Rail- 
way, 15. 
Map of grounds, 94. 
Map of trails and golf course, 

89. 

Mason, Miss Emily, saved build- 
ings, 585 60. 

Montague, Russell W., gave land 
for one of first golf courses 
in the country, 359. 

Montague, Margaret Prescott, 
364. 

N 

New River, 24, 33. 

O 

Old Sweet Springs, 191-195, 320; 
geological formation, 38, 379. 



Patton, Col. George H., com- 
manded at Battle of White 
Sulphur Springs, 264-273. 

Point Pleasant, Battle of, 29. 

Pryor, Mrs. Roger A., 209. 

R 
Richmond, Va., 18, 19. 



Schoonmaker, Col. J. M., 60-64, 
286. 

Scotch-Irish, 39. 

Shawnees and Pawnees, 21, 29, 
SO. 

Stage houses, 34. 

Stuart, Col. John, 37; memor- 
andum of, 41-48. 



Their Pilgrimage, 295-332. 
Treadmill, The, 331-345. 

V 
Valley of Virginia, 20, 21. 

W 

War, Indian, 29, 30, 33, 35, 41- 

45- 

War, 1861-1865, 16-22, 35, 57, 
263-295. 

Warner, Charles Dudley, 295. 

Washington, Gen. George, 23. 

White Sulphur Springs ; analy- 
sis of water, 92-94, 178-180; 
buildings, 53-68; baths, 51, 75- 
77, 79-8i ; bath house, 76, 78- 
81, 351; climate, 72; Colonel's 
Story, The, 209; country of, 
2 7-39; diseases affected by 
waters, 69-92, 179, 180; first 
settlers, 41 ; geological condi- 
tions, 365-369; inhabitants, 39; 
Journal of a Lady in 1837, 
130; in 1838, 96-129; in 1839, 
174-208; legend of creation of, 
222 ; origin of name, 383 ; ra- 
dium influence, 75 ; relation to 
the South, 395-407; social con- 
ditions of, 397-407; tempera- 
ture of water, 73 ; title to, 50- 
68; Treadmill, The, 331; Their 
Pilgrimage, 295. 



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